CNN has officially launched CNNVR, a new immersive journalism unit and virtual reality platform with CNN Digital. Capturing major news events in 360 video, the global team will produce weekly virtual reality experiences and live streams.

News organisations have tested the VR waters over recent years, for instance CNN’s work with NextVR on a live presidential election debate, ABC News’ collaboration with Jaunt VR exploring Syria, and The New York Times’ work with Within on Walking New York, and over the past year, CNN has produced over 50 news stories with associated 360 video, generating over 30 million views on Facebook alone, the company says.

cnn-vr-daydreamIn a major new commitment to the medium, CNN has officially launched CNNVR, a new journalism unit that aims to produce immersive VR content across multiple platforms and devices. The CNNVR app has been available on Google’s Daydream VR platform since its November launch last year, and is now publishing content to the Samsung VR app on Gear VR and Oculus Video app on Rift too. In addition, CNN’s iOS and Android apps now support 360 video, along with the desktop site CNN.com/VR.

Speaking at VR Day Atlanta in January, CNN’s Head of VR, Ed Thomas, described VR and 360 video as a ‘reinvention of the news story telling process’. He highlighted the fact that CNNVR really satisfies the promise of CNN’s long-running ‘Go There’ brand campaign, being able to place the user in hard-to-reach places, or making them feel like an active participant within a news story.

CNN’s VR output is ramping up to a daily production cycle, with a key aim of delivering regular VR live streams of global events; teams are already set up in New York, Atlanta, London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Dubai, Johannesburg, Tokyo, and Beijing, the company says.

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The launch was marked with a powerful, thought-provoking use of 360 video capture—a compelling production about the controversial traditions of bull running and bull fighting in Pamplona, Spain.

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The trial version of Microsoft’s Monster Truck Madness probably had something to do with it. And certainly the original Super Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. A car nut from an early age, Dominic was always drawn to racing games above all other genres. Now a seasoned driving simulation enthusiast, and former editor of Sim Racer magazine, Dominic has followed virtual reality developments with keen interest, as cockpit-based simulation is a perfect match for the technology. Conditions could hardly be more ideal, a scientist once said. Writing about simulators lead him to Road to VR, whose broad coverage of the industry revealed the bigger picture and limitless potential of the medium. Passionate about technology and a lifelong PC gamer, Dominic suffers from the ‘tweak for days’ PC gaming condition, where he plays the same section over and over at every possible combination of visual settings to find the right balance between fidelity and performance. Based within The Fens of Lincolnshire (it’s very flat), Dominic can sometimes be found marvelling at the real world’s ‘draw distance’, wishing virtual technologies would catch up.
  • Haulik

    Can’t find it on the danish Oculus store… :/

    • benz145

      The CNNVR content is on Gear VR via the Samsung VR app (linked in the article above). On Rift it comes through the Oculus Video app (also linked above).

  • wowgivemeabreak

    Cool, so we can now get CNN’s biased “fake news” in VR. Wat I’d really like is having a VR version of that Wolf Blitzer show where he keeps going on about the fantasy Trump/Russia connection. Beating that dead horse in VR would probably be interesting…

  • Gamevid4

    Fake news in VR. I would rather have real news in 2-D

  • Foreign Devil

    Bunch of negative nancy’s in here. I’m glad any media is producing VR content. Is their 360 video capture of bull running and bull fighting “fake news”? I’ve noticed anything deemed “fake news” is anything critical of Donald Trump. He who should be above the the critical eye of the free press apparently.

    • Get Schwifty!

      The fake news moniker has been on CNN for at least the last twelve years or so… there is no question about their leanings though…

      OTOH, VR news is certainly welcome, but it won’t be long until it’s used to drive an agenda, its just built into CNN, just as Fox has theirs. When MSNBC does VR news then you really have to worry ;)

    • Nigerian Wizard

      Lol no foreign quiet the opposite. CNN spins everything for a liberal audience.

  • Is the video stereoscopic? Also, any word on this coming to PSVR?

  • FRED

    Oh Boy I can hardly wait for what will be the most moronic VR yet! I noticed the article said Journalism, CNN can’t even spell that word and have NO IDEA what it means, just fictional third grade stories made up to make pro Americans look bad.

  • NooYawker

    LOL.. I was going to jokingly put up a fake news post but.. wow.

    • Yaniv Ben David

      lollll

  • Mitroll

    So many triggered right-wingers. I bet most of them watch Fox too.