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Virtual reality’s ability to immerse and transport those using it is meant to be one of the key selling points of what some, including Mark Zuckerberg, believe is the next big platform.
Google is another believer of VR’s immense capabilities and it has been busy for some time now – building apps such as TiltBrush and devices such as Cardboard and Daydream View as part of a VR ecosystem.
Now the tech giant has turned to an old favourite for its newest VR launch – Google Earth – as it looks to nail that idea of transporting and immersing users.
The new expanded Earth app, as seen above, enables users to fly above cities and landmarks, as well as soar into space. The app also allows users to change the position of the sun in the sky to alter the time of day they view on a location app.
The app is launching on HTC’s Vive platform, which means users will also be able to walk around different locations. And thanks to Vive’s movement tracking and sensors, wearers of the headset have a designated play area in which they can wander.
That’s in addition to use the controllers to fly over and across different parts of the world, including the Colosseum in Rome and the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps among others. We could all become seasoned travellers.
