Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

The VR future expands as Netflix and Hulu announce new virtual reality apps

Stephanie Topacio Long
By

netflix adds 4k and hdr but not vr living room
Netflix
The Virtual Reality world is getting some intriguing new contributors, namely Netflix and Hulu. Both companies are gearing up (no pun intended) for the VR revolution, announcing that they’ll be launching virtual reality apps to give viewers the chance to stream their content through VR headsets. Netflix got a jump on other video services, debuting its new app on Oculus’ virtual reality store today. Hulu’s app is slated to arrive later this fall.

Netflix and Oculus collaborated to develop an app for Samsung’s Gear VR; when the new $99 VR headset comes out this fall, users will be able to use the goggles to step into Netflix’s virtual world. Through the device, Netflix’s sea of content can be explored from the comfort of the Netflix Living Room, transforming any location into a virtual home theater. However, Netflix has not announced any content specifically created for the VR experience.

Recommended Videos

The Hulu VR app takes things a bit further, giving users multiple immersive 3D environments to choose from. From there, they’ll be able to stream Hulu’s entire library of content in 2D, and later, watch specially-crafted original VR content. The streamer today announced plans to create such content, starting with a short film called The Big One. The short will be produced by Lionsgate and Rocketjump and created by the brains behind Hulu Original RocketJump: The Show. Through it, viewers will see a meteor shower turn into an “apocalyptic nightmare.”

Related

The move to create VR content is another in a throng of progressive efforts by Hulu in an attempt to become more relevant when sized up against rivals Netflix and Amazon, following the recent release of Hulu’s new commercial-free tier.

“Hulu lives at the intersection of technology and entertainment, and this is a great example,” said Julian Eggebrecht, Hulu VP of Device Platforms in a press release. “Providing viewers with dynamic environments of their choice and themed around their favorite shows provides a whole new level of engagement, which together with our cinematic VR experiences makes Hulu an exciting VR destination.”

Both Netflix and Hulu’s apps will allow users to access a home theater on-the-go to start, with the possibility for much more exciting VR experiences available down the road.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long
Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Apple’s new AR headset may use Face ID technology to track hand gestures
Apple VR Headset Concept by Antonio De Rosa

Apple has an augmented reality (AR) headset in the works, and a well-known analyst now predicts that it will use Face ID to track hand movements.

The upcoming headset is said to be equipped with more 3D sensing modules than iPhones and, according to the report, may one day replace iPhones altogether.

Read more
Meta believes VR haptic gloves could unlock the future of the metaverse
Meta researcher holding prototype haptic glove.

The metaverse seems to be coming, as is the futuristic hardware that will increase immersion in virtual worlds. Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has shared how its efforts to usher in that new reality are focusing on how people will actually feel sensations in a virtual world.

The engineers at Meta have developed a number of early prototypes that tackle this goal and they include both haptic suits and gloves that could enable real-time sensations.

Read more
The future of immersive VR? ‘Chemical haptics’ applied to your skin
A woman in a VR headset holding her hands out.

VR headsets are currently able to simulate realistic environments to trick your brain into thinking it's actually there. But researchers at the University of Chicago are going a step further by simulating physical sensations using chemicals applied to your skin.

The implementation seems basic, but the results are fascinating and could provide a way to make VR even more immersive.

Read more