AltspaceVR today announced a Samsung Gear VR version of the social VR platform, which will hypothetically allow anyone with the mobile VR headset and an internet connection to talk online face to face.
A dozen journalists from across two continents and a number of states strapped into their respective S6 Gear VR headsets today, packing into a specially designed online space to hear CEO Eric Romo explain about the company’s move to the mobile VR platform.
While fellow journalists used Gear VRs, Romo demonstrated the cross-platform capabilities of the space by holding the presentation in a DK2 with Microsoft Kinect for hand tracking.
Sign-Up for AltspaceVR Gear VR Closed Alpha
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Living in Italy, I had no problem speaking casually with people from halfway across the globe, just like with the PC version of the application. Movement was simple, and relied upon a simple ‘point and click’ mechanism that would move your avatar forward about a half of a step at a time, demonstrating that the application can rely solely on the headset’s integrated touchpad.
All shared content is streamed, as in the linked content that appear on your screen is made available to all avatars contemporaneously, provided they have regional access to the webpage.
The PC version of AltspaceVR has already been through a number closed betas and a handful of changes, from Leap Motion support to the addition of several shareable browsers that allow you to beam content to view communally with your friends and online allies.
And if you already have a Gear VR, you might well be in luck, because a signup sheet for the closed alpha is live on the AltspaceVR website, and ready for prospective alpha testers to take part.