Last month VRFocus reported that a brand new virtual reality (VR) experience based around the highly anticipated return of the Star Wars franchise with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, would be releasing in December 2015. Just two days into the month and that experience is now available to download, arriving via the official free Star Wars app found on both the iOS and Android operating systems (OSs). It is compatible with the Google Cardboard DIY mobile-based head-mounted display (HMD).

The VR portion of the Star Wars app is called Jakku Spy and is described as an immersive 360 degree experience. Set on the titular desert planet that will make its debut in the new movie, users are tasked with locating BB-8, a new droid character that will also be appearing for the first time in this month’s release, though it’s not clear if the experience does feature any kind of interactivity. Elsewhere, the Star Wars app also features an augmented reality (AR) component in which players can unlock 3D characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens for viewing on the given smartphone.

This isn’t the first Star Wars VR experience to be released. Back in September social networking giant and Oculus VR owner Facebook launched support for 360 degree videos on its platform. The launch line-up for the feature included another look at Jakku, this time on a speeder bike. Support for the Gear VR mobile-based device was added to Facebook later on, meaning that video can now be viewed with a HMD on too. Elsewhere, the Industrial Light and Magic Experience Lab (ILMxLAB) is working on several other Star Wars projects using new technologies, some including VR.

Expect to see much more Star Wars VR content as the technology grows in popularity. VRFocus will be reporting on any further experiences that are revealed.

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The post Official Star Wars: The Force Awakens VR Experience Now Available appeared first on VRFocus.

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