Google wants every YouTube video to be in VR

Grace Shallow June 26, 2017

Google has taken another step towards virtual reality becoming the norm for videos with the perfect platform that’s already under their control: YouTube.

The two tech giants recently announced the VR180 format, which focuses on making only what’s in front of the viewer immersive. It will be available to watch in high resolution on desktops and mobile devices with Cardboard, Daydream and PSVR, according to a blog post by YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.

LG, YI and Lenovo are developing cameras as part of this effort, and they will be compatible with VR180 with comparable prices to standard point-and-shoot cameras. The first of these products is supposed to be available this winter, according to The Verge.

This equipment could be used to live stream, and its videos can also be edited on commonly used programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro.

Currently, some YouTube videos featuring things such as musical numbers, sports events and landscape shots can be viewed in VR360. But 432,000 hours’ worth of videos are posted on the platform every day, and the goal is to ensure that more and more of that content is VR180-based.

Wojcicki discussed the development at VidCon last week, where the best and most influential YouTube creators were introduced to, and hopefully enamored by, the VR opportunity.

To get a head start, “eligible creators” can apply to loan a VR180 camera from one of the company’s nine YouTube Spaces across the world – including the spot based in London – but there is no further explanation of what qualifies someone to have this access in Wojcicki’s blog post.

Google and YouTube’s effort to make VR more accessible mean you can expect almost every video to be VR-based in some way in the future – even the innocent ones filled with cute puppies.