The reality is accelerating.
It's been less than two months since the PlayStation VR was released. At Gizmodo Japan, I have experienced various game contents. However, as PS VR recommends a 15-minute break every hour, gameplay in VR can be tiring.
Therefore, Sony Music Entertainment will deliver a new PS VR dedicated software "anywhereVR" that is completely different from the game from December 8th. Gizmodo Japan has experienced it a little earlier.
"AnywhereVR" is called lifestyle-based VR. At first glance it looks like a relaxation app, but its level of relaxation may surpass reality. Because, with "anywhereVR", you can project a smartphone screen in VR.
If you put a dedicated application that will be delivered at the same time as "anywhereVR" on December 8th into your smartphone and link it in the same internet environment, the screen of your smartphone will appear in VR. Not only can you adjust the size and position of the screen, but you can also make it transparent. Currently, only Android 5.0 is supported.
When I actually experienced it, the screen was easier to see than I had imagined and the characters were clearly visible. You can also watch the video through the screen of your smartphone, but you cannot output the audio from PS VR.
And above all, because the smartphone screen is displayed in VR, it was comfortable to be able to operate it without having to bring the smartphone in front of me. For example, even when you are lying down, you can operate the smartphone screen without raising your arm, so sad things like "If you look at your smartphone while lying on your back, your hands will slip and your smartphone will hit your face directly" will occur. I don't.
The beautiful images that are the background of "anywhereVR" have various scenery and can be switched at any time. Moreover, the quality is origami, and I use four Sony single-lens reflex cameras "α7S II" to shoot 360-degree images. In addition, we are also focusing on the shooting itself, and some videos took 3 days to shoot in order to be careful not to show people and to find the timing of good weather.
The first two backgrounds are sandy beach and Mt. Fuji. Others are 10 pieces and 2 sets of 1,980 yen are delivered as download contents, and a total of 22 pieces of background are prepared. An original BGM is also available, and it will be delivered for 650 yen with 6 songs. There seems to be a set of BGM and full background.
Personally, the background of the starry sky was the most relaxing. With the current VR, I'm really worried about the resolution of the image, but I felt that the starry sky wasn't affected much by the resolution, probably because there were many black parts.
Two other mini-games are included, allowing you to play fishing games and minesweeper-like games. It's not a game that moves violently, so you can enjoy it while watching the screen of your smartphone leisurely. It is also possible to display new tweets in VR in cooperation with Twitter.
***What I felt after experiencing "anywhereVR" this time was the MR-like approach. MR is an abbreviation of "Mixed Reality" and is a technology to project virtual space, objects, etc. on the real world.
Since VR is completely immersed in the virtual space by wearing a headset, it is difficult to get close to life, but MR is based on reality, so it can be used in daily life. However, I felt that "anywhereVR" presented a new possibility of VR that is closely related to daily life by projecting reality into VR.
Tatsuya Abe (left) and Tatsuya Haraguchi (right) of Sony Music Entertainment, who developed "anywhereVR", will play a game in which fans communicate with each other while watching real-time live concerts in VR. He said he would like to create a platform that provides a new VR experience outside of Japan.
This work, which presents new possibilities for PS VR, which is often used as a game, is scheduled to be distributed overseas.
For the time being, I lie down at home while burning aroma, and surf the net without raising my arms. Isn't it the best?
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image by PlayStation Blogsource: PlayStation Blog
(K. Yoshioka / Photo: Nobuhiko Matsuba)