Although we have experienced looking through menus and online storefronts from the likes of the Oculus Rift and Gear VR, it isn’t quite the same as full-on online purchasing using virtual reality (VR). eBay is now introducing the world’s first VR shopping experience in Australia using its own mobile-based head-mounted displays (HMD).
eBay, in partnership with Myer, Australia’s largest department store group, has transformed the way shoppers can interact with items and the website as a whole. The online VR shopping experience is said to give shoppers a close experience with the items they are shopping for, as well as a personalised selection. Using just your gaze, shoppers can use “Sight Search” to browse, sort, and purchase items just as you can on eBay already except with a much different aesthetic which benefits its VR ability.
Using what the online store called its “shopticles”, shoppers can see a spider diagram of different categories which expand further. These Shopticles are essentially eBay’s own branded Google Cardboards, which is demonstrated in the video featured below along with interface and workings of the new VR eBay app, however also featured are Gear VR HMD.
In order to get on board with this new feature in Australia, eBay has said that it has 20,000 shopticles to give away so that eBay users can start their VR experiences right away. The app is free on both Android and iOS, so mobile-based HMDs are the only way to interact with the app. There is no further news on whether or not VR shopping will go beyond Australia with eBay as Myer is an Australian-based company, but it can be assumed that with success will come further plans.
For all the latest news, updates, and developments in the world of VR, make sure to check back with VRFocus.
