Getty Images gets into VR with panoramic photo viewer for Oculus Rift, Gear VR
Getty Images is highly interested in VR, and it takes the big leap forward right now to gamble on it.
Getty Images, being the largest, most comprehensive, and most diverse photo agency in the world, introduces its entry into virtual reality with the launch of the 360° View by Getty Images, an app on the Oculus Share Store that lets users of the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR to immerse in rich, panoramic photos in virtual reality fashion.
The app features “exclusive, high-quality 360-degree imagery” that will enable Rift and Gear VR users to experience Getty Images’ huge portfolio of panoramic images in VR – it creates a sense of presence to the user that gives the illusion of actually being there taking part in the action of the scene.
Hugh Pinney, Vice President of Editorial Content for Getty Images, said in a press statement, “Getty Images has always been at the forefront of innovation, employing the latest, cutting-edge technologies to bring our customers best-in-class imagery from the world’s top creative minds and global events as they happen.” He added that by collaborating with Oculus with this app, Getty Images will provide an immersive and social photo-viewing experience.
Getty Images has been working on capturing panoramic imagery since 2012, shooting some of the notable events in history. The photo agency has done work in capturing panoramas of events such as the red carpet in Oscars, Olympic Games, and the Cricket World Cup.
This image of a Cricket World Cup game is an equirectangular panorama, which provides a 360-degree view of the photo. Through the app, the user can manipulate the view by panning and zooming in and out, as well as viewing time-lapse sequences of the scenes.
The 360° View by Getty Images app is currently available for the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, both for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 4 smartphones. Meanwhile, it will also be made available for the consumer version of the Oculus Rift when it launches sometime early next year.
For more information on the 360° View by Getty Images app, please visit the following websites:
http://www.gettyimages.com
http://press.gettyimages.com/getty-images-launches-360-view-by-getty-images-for-the-oculus-platform-2/
http://mashable.com/2015/06/20/getty-oculus-rift/
