YouTube adds virtual reality to its app

Virtual Reality has finally made its way onto YouTube, with Google announcing its Android app will be able to playback VR video.

Users will be able to experience virtual reality through the app when combined with a Google Cardboard viewer.

"Using the same tricks that we humans use to see the world, VR video gives you a sense of depth as you look around in every direction," YouTube product managers Kurt Wilms, Sanjeev Verma, and Husain Bengali wrote in a blog post. "Near things look near, far things look far. So if you were excited about 360 videos, this is pretty freakin' cool."

To view VR videos, users need to tap on the Cardboard icon and insert the phone into the cardboard viewer. Among the VR content available is the Hunger Games Experience and TOMS Shoes Giving Trip.

"If you're a creator, you can also check out technologies like Jump to capture and share your own VR videos," the blog post authors wrote.

Google is promising more and better content in the future. Other content available includes 3D VR video of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

The firm said that existing YouTube videos will be viewable in Google Cardboard via a new virtual movie theatre. Viewers can pretend to watch normal YouTube videos in darkened cinema with a screen in the distance.

The new YouTube update will be available in the Google Play Store.

Virtual Reality finally makes its way onto YouTube. Google announced that its Android app will be able to playback VR video.

Users will be able to experience virtual reality through the app when combined with a Google Cardboard viewer.

"Using the same tricks that we humans use to see the world, VR video gives you a sense of depth as you look around in every direction," YouTube product managers Kurt Wilms, Sanjeev Verma, and Husain Bengali wrote in a blog post. "Near things look near, far things look far. So if you were excited about 360 videos, this is pretty freakin' cool."

To view VR videos, users need to tap on the Cardboard icon and insert the phone into the cardboard viewer. Among the VR content available is the Hunger Games Experience and TOMS Shoes Giving Trip.

"If you're a creator, you can also check out technologies like Jump to capture and share your own VR videos," the blog post authors wrote.

Google is promising more and better content in the future. Other content available includes 3D VR video of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

The firm said that existing YouTube videos will be viewable in Google Cardboard via a new virtual movie theatre. Viewers can pretend to watch normal YouTube videos in darkened cinema with a screen in the distance.

The new YouTube update will be available in the Google Play Store.