Samsung is encouraging people to watching 360-degree video and it doesn't matter if they do not own Gear VR headset. All they need is a compatible phone and a the Milk VR app.
On April 11, the company released the Milk VR on the Google Play store. What is great about the new mobile app is that it will offer users access to 360-degree videos - quite a few of the same ones that Samsung features for the Gear VR headset.
"Now access Samsung Milk VR's amazing library of 360 degree, immersive videos even when you don't have your Samsung Gear VR nearby. The Samsung Milk VR mobile app allows you to discover, search, download, and play 360 video content on your Samsung phone anytime and anywhere," says the app description.
Thanks to the arrival of the Milk VR mobile app, users will be able to play back 360-degree videos and gaze around by merely panning their handset.
One may argue whether this experience be as immersive as opposed to one strapping the Gear VR headset? The experience will of course be different and spinning one's phone 360 degrees to watch a video may not feel the same thing as the real deal. However, isn't something better than nothing.
How The Milk VR Mobile App Works
Once the app has been installed from the Play store, the user just needs to select the 360 video content and simply pan the handset around to alter the on-screen view. It is that easy.
The app allows one to search and browse all of Samsung's Milk VR 360 video content. Moreover, one can also play the videos directly on their smartphone, but using Gear VR is optional. One can even download the videos and view them later using the Gear VR or the handset.
Exploring the virtual world with the Milk VR mobile app is seamless because one merely needs to shift their phone right/left or use touch navigation.
However, the app seems to be region restricted and works on devices running Android 5.0 and above. The app also appears to be incompatible with interactive videos that need access to the Gear VR headset's touchpad.
Devices Compatible With The Milk VR Mobile App
Only a handful of Samsung smartphones has support for the mobile app. These are as follows:
• Galaxy S7
• Galaxy S7 edge
• Galaxy Note 5
• Galaxy S6
• Galaxy S6 edge
• Galaxy S6 edge+.
To learn more and get details of the featured content check the official Milk VR website. Those who have a supported Samsung handset and wish to download the Milk VR mobile app can do so from the Play Store.