It seems everyone is jumping on the virtual reality bandwagon these days.
Getty Images is tagging along for the ride with the release of a library of 360-degree images for Facebook's Oculus Rift goggles.
The collection called "360° View by Getty Images" is available as of June 19 in the Oculus 360 Photos app on the Oculus Store. The images which Getty has been collecting since 2012 transport viewers to locations and events around the world, from the Cannes Film Festival to the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil.
Once the images are loaded onto the Oculus goggles, users will be able to look around and explore the pictures in a 3D environment spanning 360 degrees. Each image lets viewers pan around a scene in any direction, giving them the experience of being present in the moment. High-resolution technology also lets viewers zoom in on the action, while time-lapse sequences whisk them through events in real time."We know that consumers love our imagery so we are thrilled to be working with Oculus to offer a truly immersive and social experience on their market-leading platform," said Hugh Pinney, VP of editorial content for Getty Images.
Getty isn't the only company working on VR imaging. Mark Zuckerberg showcased the 3D videos that Facebook has planned for the Oculus Rift at the Facebook I/O conference in March.
The 3D images can already be viewed with the Gear VR Innovator Edition for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6 series, but Getty is expecting the collection to take off when the Oculus Rift gets its commercial release in the first quarter of 2016. Of course, if you're lucky enough to own an Oculus Rift developer headset, you can check out the collection in Oculus 360 Photos app on the Oculus Store and transport yourself to events like the Oscars, the Olympics or the Cricket World Cup.
