Google Launches YouTube VR On Steam For HTC Vive Users
Google has launched YouTube VR on Steam for HTC Vive users. This means that you’ll be able to browse and experience every channel, video, and creator in virtual reality rather than simply watching 180 or 360 videos.
YouTube VR is optimized to showcase all of its content in the virtual world. It sort of mimics VR theaters where you’ll have a floating screen in the virtual environment. The screens can be blown up in size to be seen at a bigger resolution.
YouTube VR is available for free on the Steam marketplace. This will be in Early Access through 2018 where the team will look to improve its performance for virtual reality.
Google has stated that YouTube VR will only be optimized for HTC Vive in early access meaning it won’t be perfectly suited for other HMDs such as the Oculus Rift.
Minimum Specs for YouTube VR
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel i5-6400 equivalent or better
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980, AMD Radeon R9 Fury equivalent or better
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 4 GB available space
Recommended Specs for YouTube VR
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel i7-6700 equivalent or better
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980ti or better
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 4 GB available space
The required specs are on the lower end which makes it friendly for a lot of PC VR users. Make sure to give YouTube VR a go.
I downloaded the Youtube VR app on my app. It worked smoothly for me.
I’m glad that they have a dedicated tab which makes it easy to watch only 360 videos. But there is no option to watch only 360 videos. Once your video finishes, the next video could be a 2D video.
If you enjoy watching travel videos on Youtube VR, checkout Travel VR on Oculus Rift and Vive. It is a free app which lets you fly around the world and then pick a country to watch 360 videos of that place.
Over 20,000 people have downloaded Travel VR.