Oculus, the Facebook-owned virtual reality company, just launched its video channel, known as Oculus TV.
The channel, available on the company’s new standalone VR headset, the Oculus Go, allows users to watch a wide variety of TV and high-quality videos while in VR.
Designed so that users can switch between live and on-demand content, the Oculus TV app displays what appears to be a 180-inch TV screen. Shows from existing networks like Showtime, Hulu, Netflix, as well as all the content from Facebook Watch, including live Major League Baseball, are available—sometimes requiring a subscription—via the new app.
Oculus TV is pre-loaded on all new Oculus Go headsets. For those that already have the gear, the app is a simple download.
The question now is whether people actually want to watch TV shows, movies, or other 180-degree videos on a media platform that’s designed for 360-degree content. It’s unknown how many people will wear their headset long enough to watch a TV show or a movie, for instance. Some feel the medium is ideal for airplane flights, but others argue the headsets are too heavy to be comfortable over time.
With Oculus TV, we may soon have an answer to the question.
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