It will probably come to a point when looking at beautiful but “flat” photos will not be enough for us. Eventually, what we would look for would be 360° photo experiences, as seen through the lens of virtual reality apps and accessories. One of the more popular photo apps, Flickr, is now getting into the VR game by releasing a new virtual reality app called, what else, Flickr VR, for compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphones and which you can view through a Samsung Gear VR (powered by Oculus).
Flickr says that more than tens of thousands of 360° photos have already been uploaded onto their site. And while looking at them through normal eyes is pretty enough, they are meant for so much more. That’s where a VR headset comes in, to make us truly appreciate how these photos should be viewed, from every angle available. Upon opening the Flickr VR app on your Gear VR, you will see a carousel of the top curated photos on the app. Click on one and you will suddenly feel like you’re actually there inside the photo, or better yet, at the place itself.
The photo storage and sharing app from Yahoo says that they are the best platform for these kinds of photos, since they “respect” the image quality and do not reduce them just to be able to fit into the social sharing phenomenon. They are also promising even more VR experiences coming soon, so let’s hope that VR headsets finally catch on for consumers.
You can download the Flickr VR app only if you connect your Samsung Galaxy VR to your smartphone. There’s a Store at the Oculus Home where you can find the app and simply installing it will allow you to view the 360° to your heart’s or rather eye’s content.
SOURCE: Yahoo
