This is as close to being on the track as you’re going to get.
City street racing series Formula E and VR sports entertainment company Virtually Live have teamed up to bring high-paced racing action to virtual reality using some seriously cool spectator modes. The app, which is 100% free, features 20 minutes of footage from Season 2 of the Formula E ePrix and can be found on the Steam and Viveport VR stores, with support coming to Oculus in the near future.
You’ll follow the heated rivalry of racers Lucas Di Grassi & Sebastien Buemi as they struggle against one another for first in a championship that spans London, Berlin and Long Beach just to name a few. While the intense rivalry and too-close-to-call finishes are really exciting, the app truly shines with its incredibly unique spectator system. The three locations mentioned above have been rendered into a 3D simulation that accurately depicts the position of each driver during the entirety of their respective races.
Users can follow any racer they choose throughout the race in an almost over-the-shoulder kind of view of the racecar. You can also teleport to any point on the track you’d like and jump terrified as the cars zip past your feet. Or if you’re feeling a little fancy you can view the action from the VIP eMotion Club. However the most interesting part is arguably the ability to watch real embedded TV broadcasts from the races and listen to the actual race audio. This adds a pleasant blend between real-life footage and 3D rendered animation that should be enough to appease any viewer, no matter their preference.
Formula E CEO, Alejandro Agag, said “We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of True Virtual Reality and give our fans more exciting ways to watch our sport. The launch of this App is the culmination of a successful Season 2 partnership we had with Virtually Live, and we are delighted to give fans the opportunity to experience an ePrix from their own perspective; whether in the car of their favourite driver, or various positions around the track.”
Virtually Live CEO Tom Impallomeni added, “We’re delighted to help redefine the Formula E fan experience at home. Virtually Live is about putting the fan in the experience, and we are excited to launch, with our innovative partner FIA Formula E, a truly ground-breaking experience enabling fans around the world to re-live the excitement of last season’s climax and get a taste of the upcoming live experience.”
While the app currently only provides 20 minutes of racing content, it serves merely as a preview for the more fully-loaded live experience that’s coming to Season 3 of ePrix. Till then you can check out the Season 2 highlights in VR over at Steam or Viveport.
