The Chainsmokers at ACL 2016. Photo by Roger Ho
Photo by Cameron Gott for Nokia OZO
CONCERTS & FESTIVALS
2 2 SXS W O R L D | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 | SXSW.COM
By PatRiCk niChols
Increasingly
Available at Home,
In Virtual Reality
magine one of your favorite artists is playing a landmark show
halfway around the world. Tickets will sell out almost immedi-
ately, and your odds of getting a good seat—much less one right
by the stage—are slim to none. Plus, that's not even considering
the added cost and hassle of travel.
Now, imagine getting a front-row view without having to leave
home. You just strap on a headset and enjoy the show. Sound
appealing? The burgeoning virtual reality, or VR, industry is
betting your answer will be a resounding "YES!"
Though heavily hyped, VR is still relatively new to the mar-
ketplace, with several players introducing viewing devices.
Google introduced Cardboard in 2014, and Samsung debuted
Gear VR in 2015. This year's additions include the HTC Vive,
Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR and Google Daydream. Google and
Samsung devices require compatible smartphones to power the
VR, whereas the HTC and Oculus units run off PCs, and the
Sony system connects to a PlayStation 4.
