Developer(s) | YouTube |
---|---|
Initial release | November 9, 2016 |
Operating system | Android (Linux) |
Platform | Meta Quest OS (2018-present) Google Daydream (2016-2020) |
License | Proprietary |
YouTube VR is a software application which offers an interface for YouTube made for VR headsets.
YouTube VR allows for access to all YouTube-hosted videos, but particularly supports headset access for 360° and 180°-degree video (both in 2D and stereoscopic 3D). The interface shows videos behind two floating panels, with the video description and comments showing on the left panel and related videos or playlists showing on the right panel. Since September 2023, the app interface allows for both immersive and 2D panel modes. The immersive mode retains a surrounding virtual background, while the 2D panel mode allows for use in augmented reality passthrough. The interface is accessible with hand tracking. [1]
Since 2009, viewers have had the ability to watch 3D videos. [2] In 2015, YouTube began natively supporting 360-degree video. Since April 2016, it allowed live streaming 360° video, and both normal and 360° video at up to 1440p, and since November 2016 both at up to 4K (2160p) resolution. [3] [4] [5] Citing the limited number of users who watched more than 90-degrees, it began supporting an alternative stereoscopic video format known as VR180 which it said was easier to produce, [6] which allows users to watch any video using virtual reality headsets. [7]
In November 2016, YouTube released YouTube VR, a dedicated version with an interface for VR devices, for Google's Daydream mobile VR platform on Android. [8] In December 2017, the app was released on Steam for HTC Vive. [9] In November 2018, YouTube VR was released on the Oculus Store for the Oculus Go headset. [10] YouTube VR was updated since for compatibility with successive Quest devices, and was ported to Pico 4. [11]
Starting with the Oculus Quest, the app was updated for compatibility with mixed-reality passthrough modes on VR headsets. In April 2024, YouTube VR was updated to support 8K SDR video on Meta Quest 3. [12]
Prior to the release of the Apple Vision Pro, YouTube announced that neither YouTube VR nor YouTube's IPadOS app would be ported to VisionOS upon launch of the headset, and suggested that Vision Pro use a web browser to access YouTube videos in-headset. [13] However, the company later clarified that native support on visionOS was "on the roadmap". [14]
Version | Date | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1.00.00 | November 9, 2016 |
| [15] [16] |
1.00.01 | December 13, 2016 | ||
1.01.71 | February 2, 2017 |
| |
1.01.75 | March 1, 2017 | ||
1.02.55 | April 7, 2017 | ||
1.03.61 | May 30, 2017 | ||
1.04.19 | June 19, 2017 | ||
1.04.20 | July 6, 2017 | ||
1.05.31 | July 20, 2017 | ||
1.06.26 | August 16, 2017 | ||
1.07.53 | September 19, 2017 | ||
1.08.39 | October 11, 2017 | ||
1.09.50 | November 7, 2017 | ||
1.10.60 | December 13, 2017 |
| |
1.10.63 | January 16, 2018 | ||
1.11.98 | March 12, 2018 | ||
1.12.83 | May 10, 2018 | ||
1.13.91 | July 31, 2018 | ||
1.14.53 | September 10, 2018 | ||
1.15.57 | November 9, 2018 |
| |
1.17.53 | February 20, 2019 | ||
1.18.49 | May 3, 2019 | [17] | |
1.19.48 | June 28, 2019 |
| [18] |
1.19.60 | July 10, 2019 |
| |
1.19.61 | July 15, 2019 | ||
1.20.50 | August 5, 2019 |
| |
1.21.24 | September 12, 2019 | ||
1.21.50 | September 10, 2019 |
| |
1.22.54 | November 5, 2019 | ||
1.23.53 | December 19, 2019 |
| |
1.24.50 | March 4, 2020 | ||
1.26.53 | May 18, 2020 |
| |
1.27.53 | July 23, 2020 |
| |
1.28.63 | October 6, 2020 |
| [19] |
1.28.68 | November 13, 2020 | ||
1.29.71 | December 10, 2020 |
| |
1.30.46 | February 22, 2021 | ||
1.31.41 | April 26, 2021 |
| |
1.32.31 | May 6, 2021 | ||
1.34.25 | July 26, 2021 | ||
1.35.30 | September 16, 2021 |
| |
1.36.23 | October 26, 2021 | ||
1.37.37 | November 16, 2021 |
| |
1.37.43 | December 6, 2021 | ||
1.38.64 | February 22, 2022 | ||
1.39.28 | April 28, 2022 |
| |
1.40.51 | June 22, 2022 | ||
1.41.38 | September 7, 2022 | ||
1.42.32 | October 19, 2022 |
| |
1.42.33 | November 11, 2022 | ||
1.43.32 | November 16, 2022 | ||
1.44.47 | January 24, 2023 | ||
1.44.48 | February 15, 2023 | ||
1.45.31 | March 20, 2023 |
| |
1.45.32 | April 12, 2023 | ||
1.46.09 | April 27, 2023 | ||
1.47.42 | May 24, 2023 | ||
1.47.43 | June 26, 2023 | ||
1.47.44 | July 6, 2023 |
| |
1.47.48 | July 19, 2023 | ||
1.48.35 | July 28, 2023 |
| |
1.48.36 | August 10, 2023 | ||
1.49.27 | August 18, 2023 |
| |
1.49.28 | August 28, 2023 | ||
1.50.26 | September 28, 2023 |
| [20] [21] |
1.50.27 | October 26, 2023 | ||
1.51.37 | November 14, 2023 | ||
1.51.38 | November 16, 2023 | ||
1.52.15 | December 18, 2023 | ||
1.53.27 | January 19, 2023 | ||
1.54.20 | February 28, 2024 |
| |
1.54.21 | March 7, 2024 | ||
1.55.23 | April 2, 2024 | ||
1.56.21 | May 25, 2024 |
360-degree videos, also known as surround video, or immersive videos or spherical videos, are video recordings where a view in every direction is recorded at the same time, shot using an omnidirectional camera or a collection of cameras. The term 360x180 can be used to indicate 360° of azimuth and 180° from nadir to zenith. During playback on normal flat display the viewer has control of the viewing direction like a panorama. It can also be played on a display or projectors arranged in a sphere or some part of a sphere.
Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a virtual reality company founded by Palmer Luckey that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality industry. It was the first virtual reality headset to provide a realistic experience at an accessible price, utilizing novel technology to increase quality and reduce cost by orders of magnitude compared to earlier systems. The first headset in the line was the Oculus Rift DK1, released on March 28, 2013. The last was the Oculus Rift S, discontinued in April 2021.
Reality Labs, formerly Oculus VR, is a business and research unit of Meta Platforms that produces virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware and software, including virtual reality headsets such as Quest, and online platforms such as Horizon Worlds. In June 2022, several artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives that were previously a part of Meta AI were transitioned to Reality Labs. This also includes Meta's fundamental AI Research laboratory FAIR which is now part of the Reality Labs - Research (RLR) division.
Google Cardboard is a discontinued virtual reality (VR) platform developed by Google. Named for its fold-out cardboard viewer into which a smartphone is inserted, the platform was intended as a low-cost system to encourage interest and development in VR applications. Users can either build their own viewer from simple, low-cost components using specifications published by Google, or purchase a pre-manufactured one. To use the platform, users run Cardboard-compatible mobile apps on their phone, place it into the back of the viewer, and view content through the lenses.
The Samsung Gear VR is a virtual reality headset developed by Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with Oculus VR, and manufactured by Samsung. The headset was released on August 21, 2015.
Virtual Desktop is remote control software for Android-based virtual reality headsets. It allows users to control a PC over a wireless LAN from the headset, including the ability to stream VR games and software.
Daydream is a discontinued virtual reality (VR) platform which was developed by Google, primarily for use with a headset into which a smartphone is inserted. It is available for select phones running the Android mobile operating system that meet the platform's software and hardware requirements. Daydream was announced at the Google I/O developer conference in May 2016, and the first headset, the Daydream View, was released on November 10, 2016. To use the platform, users place their phone into the back of a headset, run Daydream-compatible mobile apps, and view content through the viewer's lenses.
The Oculus Go is a standalone virtual reality headset developed by Meta Reality Labs in partnership with Qualcomm and Xiaomi. It is in the first generation of Facebook Technologies' virtual reality headsets, and the company's first device in the category of standalone VR headsets, which was a new category at the time of the Go's release. The Oculus Go was unveiled on October 11, 2017 during the Oculus Connect developer conference, and released on May 1, 2018. Xiaomi launched their own version of the headset in China as the Mi VR Standalone on May 31, 2018.
The first-generation Oculus Quest is a discontinued virtual reality headset developed by Oculus, a brand of Facebook Inc., and released on May 21, 2019. Similar to its predecessor, Oculus Go, it is a standalone device, that can run games and software wirelessly under an Android-based operating system. It supports positional tracking with six degrees of freedom, using internal sensors and an array of cameras in the front of the headset rather than external sensors. The cameras are also used as part of the safety feature "Passthrough", which shows a view from the cameras when the user exits their designated boundary area known as "Guardian". A later software update added "Oculus Link", a feature that allows the Quest to be connected to a computer via USB, enabling use with Oculus Rift-compatible software and games.
Oculus Rift S is a discontinued virtual reality headset co-developed by Lenovo Technologies and Oculus VR. Announced in March 2019 and released that May, it is a successor to the original Oculus Rift CV1 model, with noted changes including a new "inside-out" positional tracking system with cameras embedded inside the headset unit, a higher-resolution display, and a new "halo" head strap.
Oculus Rift CV1, also known simply as Oculus Rift, is a virtual reality headset developed by Oculus VR, a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, known at the time as Facebook Inc. It was announced in January 2016, and released in March the same year. The device constituted the first commercial release in the Oculus Rift lineup.
SexLikeReal (SLR) is a virtual reality pornography sharing site, VR live cam streaming, production company and VR technology developer. It was launched in 2015 with the top Studios such as VR Bangers, VR Conk, BadoinkVR, Virtualrealporn and more than one of the largest Netflix-like platforms for VR pornography, SexLikeReal has been featured by XBIZ and other major media outlets in the adult entertainment industry. According to Venture Beat, SexLikeReal is pioneering in merging adult entertainment with VR technology.
The Quest 2 is a virtual reality (VR) headset developed by Reality Labs, a division of Meta Platforms. It was unveiled on September 16, 2020, and released on October 13, 2020 as the Oculus Quest 2. It was then rebranded as the Meta Quest 2 in 2022, as part of a company-wide phase-out of the Oculus brand following the rebranding of Facebook, Inc. as Meta.
The Meta Quest Pro is a mixed reality (MR) headset developed by Reality Labs, a division of Meta Platforms.
Meta Quest 3 is a virtual reality (VR) headset developed by Reality Labs, a division of Meta Platforms. It was unveiled on June 1, 2023, and released on October 10 as a successor to the Quest 2.
The Apple Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset developed by Apple. It was announced on June 5, 2023, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, and pre-orders began on January 19, 2024. It became available for purchase on February 2, 2024, in the United States. A worldwide launch has yet to be scheduled. Apple Vision Pro is Apple's first new major product category since the release of the Apple Watch in 2015.
Synth Riders is a virtual reality rhythm game developed and published by Kluge Interactive. It involves players touching spheres ('notes'), tracing lines ('rails'), and avoiding obstacles that move towards them.
Meta Horizon OS, previously known informally as Meta Quest Platform or Meta Quest OS, is an extended reality operating system for the Meta Quest line of devices released by Meta Platforms. Initially developed for the embedded operating system on the Oculus Rift and Oculus Rift S, the platform has been based on the Android operating system since the release of the Oculus Go in 2018. It first supported augmented reality via grayscale camera passthrough upon the release of the Oculus Quest in 2019, and has supported color passthrough since the release of the Meta Quest Pro in 2022.
Meta Horizon OS has gone through several changes since the release of the Oculus Rift DK1 on March 29, 2013.