Hulu's Launching A VR App Next Month

Samsung's anticipated Gear VR headset is launching next month, and it'll only cost $99 USD, making it a financial feasibility for most consumers. To go along with it will be Hulu, which is working on a "virtual reality experience" for its subscribers. The video streaming service will launch its own VR app in November, keeping pace with competing services like YouTube that are also dabbling in the virtual world.

The information comes from CNET, which spoke to Hulu's Tim Connolly, head of distribution. According to Connolly, "We're ready to go." Meaning, of course that it is ready to get its VR app out in pace with the consumer virtual reality experience. Which day next month the app will launch, as well as additional details on it, weren't provided. Presumably it will launch before or at the same time as the Gear VR.

Even better, Hulu is looking into the possibility of developing original shows made specifically for virtual reality headsets, skipping over the ordinary 2D version altogether — something that would arguably be a first from a major company, though we have seen some indie VR entertainment projects.

Anyone who has used Google Cardboard to watch videos knows VR headsets are an exciting possibility for in-home entertainment. There's already a Cardboard app that simulates a room inside of a cinema, for example, making it seem like you're watching a show on the big screen. Gear VR and others like it, though, will bring much better quality than Google's inexpensive Cardboard project.

SOURCE: CNET