Skip to main content

Oculus, Tidal team up to livestream concerts in VR

Oculus and Tidal are partnering to bring livestreamed music performances to virtual reality, the companies announced Wednesday.

The exclusive concerts will be streamed on the Venues app on the Oculus Quest starting later this year. The performances will also be available in regular 2D video and high-quality audio on Tidal.

All of the performances will be available at the same time on Oculus — which is owned by Facebook — and Tidal.

“At a time when livestreamed performances are seen as the new norm, Tidal’s partnership with Oculus provides music lovers an elevated concert experience with more interaction and dimension than past livestreams,” Tidal Chief Operating Officer Lior Tibon said in a statement. “Oculus is revolutionizing the live music experience and matched with Tidal’s HiFi audio quality, members will be able to remember what it feels like to stand in a large crowd at a concert venue.”

The lineup for the exclusive virtual concerts hasn’t been revealed yet. The partnership was announced just after the Facebook Connect event, in which Facebook revealed the new Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.

The Oculus-Tidal tag team could capitalize on a new era of music performances, as the coronavirus pandemic has kept concert venues shuttered to prevent the disease’s spread. Many artists have taken to performing on livestreams or producing online concerts to attract fans.

But a push into VR may make those shows feel even more like a regular concert experience, something music lovers have been missing for months now.

Editors' Recommendations

Paul Squire
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paul is the News Editor at Digital Trends. Before joining DT, Paul spent 3 years as an editor on the New York Post's digital…
Kokomo is a new social VR platform from Canon
Canon VR lens.

Canon aims to change the videoconferencing game with a new virtual reality (VR) platform called Kokomo. Essentially, it utilizes Canon’s cameras to create an experience where interacting with other people in a video call is closer to conversing with them in person.

Canon created Kokomo as a software solution that utilizes a VR headset connected to a smartphone and a Canon camera fitted with Canon’s new RF 5.2mm F/2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens. Canon is currently showing off the system using the Eos R5 full-frame mirrorless camera, though compatibility with other Canon cameras will be added later on, along with new features.

Read more
Microsoft and Samsung could team up on new AR headset
microsoft hololens 2

Samsung and Microsoft might be teaming up on a new augmented reality headset, with a possible release coming in 2024, according to a new rumor.

Digital Trends can not verify the original report behind the rumor, but according to The Elec, Microsoft and Samsung have reportedly started working on this project that's scheduled to last two years. Samsung apparently started its task force for the project in March and Microsoft in the summer. Multiple divisions of Samsung's business are also involved in the product, including Samsung Display, Electro-Mechanics, and SDI.

Read more
As others hype up VR and the metaverse, Valve may be backing away
Valve Index HMD release date store page leak june 2019 controller base station

As interest in the metaverse heats up, many companies are pouring more resources into virtual and augmented reality -- except one. Valve may be shifting its focus from VR to its already sold-out Steam Deck, according to recent rumors.

Valve insider Tyler McVicker put out a YouTube video detailing Valve's plans (or lack there of) for virtual reality. McVicker points out that most of the company has lost interest in VR completely. This is mostly due to the massive success of Meta (formerly Facebook) putting out relatively low-cost headsets under the former Oculus brand and buying out many big VR developers. Instead, Valve is focusing its efforts on showcasing the versatility and power of its upcoming Steam Deck portable gaming PC.

Read more