TOKYO: Samsung Electronics Ltd has unveiled the Milk VR application to be used with its recently introduced Gear VR augmented reality headset, launched earlier this month. The application offers users of the Gear VR headset with free 360-degree videos and with new videos to be rolled out regularly to retain consumers.
The Head of Samsung’s Virtual Reality (VR) Business Nick DiCarlo in an interview during December compared the VR video experience to the Wild West, further adding that Milk VR is able to run a large variety of videos on account of there being plenty of ways to “shoot immersive videos”. Furthermore, Mr DiCarlo stated that his criterion for the VR’s success is based on the level of user involvement rather than the number of sales.
Milk VR serves as an answer to critics who did not expect there to be much content to come out for the Gear VR. The Milk VR is set to present prospective filmmakers, interested in meddling with the virtual reality genre, an example on how to go about their respective projects.
Samsung developed the Gear VR by partnering with Facebook Inc’s (NASDAQ:FB) recently-acquired augmented reality startup, called Oculus VR. The product was unveiled along with the Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung’s latest Gear smartwatch. Additionally, the product was launched with the intent of catering to developers and artists interested in testing the device rather than the general public. It made its way into the market on December 8, selling for $199, and requires a Galaxy Note 4 that functions as the core CPU.
The Korean tech giant is viewing the virtual reality segment as a massive long-term opportunity to further boost growth to compensate for the slowdown its underperforming segments, including smartphones. These segments are witnessing increasing headwinds due to the rise of China-based startups, such as Xiaomi, which offer cheap smartphones with features fairly of the same standing.
