There have been many strides made in North America in the world of virtual reality (VR), especially in Canada, with there being a good selection of VR rollercoasters to get the mass of the public into the new tech. It has now come that Canada is leading the way in terms of cinematic VR, with North America’s first VR movie theatre.
We have already seen a couple VR cinemas popping up around Europe, but this is the first time we have seen it from across the Atlantic Ocean. Vivid VR, co-founded by Toronto-based Gary Tam, Ran Mo, and Crystal Chen, is the name of the startup, and it has already been open for two days – it will, however, only be temporary for now. Although it won’t be showing feature-length films, only five to ten minute long short films using what looks to be Samsung Gear VR head-mounted displays (HMD).
In a report by Techvibes the two Co-founders spoke about the implication of taking on this new venture, and why they think they are onto something great: “The truth is most people just don’t have devices at this point,” explained Ro. “Once they actually do have the opportunity to try it they will realize the power and immersive nature of virtual reality and want more of it. So we are trying to pioneer that industry and give people the opportunity to actually experience it,” added Tam.
The cinema has 20 seats where customers will receive a brief demo, followed by pushing play on the HMDs and relaxing to the film. The films featured will include animation and live-action, with swivel chairs for them to enjoy the full scope of VR.
Time will be the greatest factor as when the end of August comes around, the owners will be able to judge whether or not they will make it a permanent space.
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