With today being the first day of the World Cup, there’s a fair bit of excitement from a technology perspective, with virtual reality (VR) now contributing to the viewing options available for UK viewers. Other tech such as video assistant referees (VAR) will be used in all games (with the referees in Moscow even wearing kit!), and let’s not forget that the new ball has been developed with a strong tech slant. But more interesting is it’s the first chance to try out the new BBC Virtual Reality app.
Are you ready to sit on your comfy (virtual) sofa?
Available on a significant number of platforms including Android, PSVR, iOS, and Oculus, you’ll be able to view every game from a prime “hospitality box”. How good will it be? Well I’ll be certainly trying it out over a few days, and will drop an update blog out as soon as I can!
Interestingly, there will be a lot of content to choose from – the BBC will showing 33 games which obviously includes some England games, so its not the case that you’ll need to be around for specific matches.
Easiest (and cheapest!) virtual reality option: Android and iOS Mobile App
This is the simplest approach you can take – all you need is a compatible mobile phone, and one of those cheap VR headsets.
A Google Cardboard headset as cheap as £2.99 will give you a gentle intro into VR. Don’t worry about the Star Wars branding!
A headset is easily picked up from a discount or retail store such as:
- Argos (cheapest option / medium price / silly price)
- The Range
- Home Bargains.
NOTE: please ensure that the headset you choose is compatible with your phone before purchase, i.e. that your phone will fit. Normally, a quick read of the reviews will indicate if you have too large a phone.
Look for this icon to download the app
Where to get the app from – your friendly local app store
The app is easily found in the standard app stores. Search for “BBC Sport VR” and look for the icon like this one. Or, just head to one of these links to grab the app:
Playstation PSVR
UPDATE (14/06/2018 15:55) – the BBC Sport VR app might not have fully rolled out to the Playstation Store as yet. But, after tweeting Playstation support, they sent me a link to it which you can find HERE – enjoy!
Those of you lucky enough to already own a Playstation PSVR headset will be able to download the app from the Playstation Store. Select “PSVR” from the top menu, then “Experiences” and you should then be presented with a main menu like this one:
The Playstation Store: your source for the BBC Sport VR app on PSVR
Oculus and Samsung Gear VR
Again, you’ll need specific devices for these platforms.
