Hulu Unveils its First VR App, Content for Samsung Gear VR

Hulu debuted an app for Samsung’s Gear VR now available in the Gear VR Oculus Store, the first of several VR apps for different platforms that the company plans to unveil. The app allows users to watch Hulu’s 2D TV/film content library in a 360-degree immersive environment, choosing from several settings (a living room, a big screen movie theater, a beach). Among original content is Hulu’s first VR film, “The Big One,” produced in partnership with Lionsgate and featuring Freddie Wong and his RocketJump brand.

TechCrunch says that the Hulu app only works on the Samsung Gear VR, which accommodates the mobile manufacturer’s Galaxy S7/S7 edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge phones. The app allows the user to adjust the 360-degree environment with regard to “the outside scene, lighting, and look-and-feel.”

Hulu_Logo_2016

In addition to “The Big One,” the app features 25+ native VR productions from Baobab Studios, Discovery Communications, Las Vegas, the National Geographic Channel, RYOT, Showtime Networks, SilVR Thread, Spoke, Studio Transcendent, The Uprising Creative and Viacom. The productions are not exclusive to Hulu subscribers.

With this first app in the marketplace, Hulu says it will release “new VR films, shorts and environments with new gadgets” on a regular basis. The company, however, has not disclosed which devices it will support in the future. Other companies also working on VR apps include Netflix.

“We are at the very beginning of VR and like everyone involved in VR technology and content, we at Hulu, have a lot of learn about what makes for a great VR experience in the eyes of the viewer,” said Hulu head of experience Ben Smith, on the company blog. “We are super excited about our first steps into VR.”

No Comments Yet

You can be the first to comment!

Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.