Disney’s new VR app on Steam, Disney Movies VR, collects all of the company’s VR experiences to date on a single app. Available on both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift via Steam, Disney Movie VR includes virtual reality offerings for The Jungle Book, Star Wars and Avengers.
Described on Steam as “a fully-immersive Disney experience where you can visit themed worlds, including Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, and interact with some of your favorite characters in their natural environments,” the app showcases all of Disney’s interactive marketing efforts from 3D and 360-degree video to actual VR.
Offerings are scant and varied for now, but the app’s launch may indicate Disney’s continuing interest in pursuing VR experiences tied into its famous franchises.
"We are looking at ways to use the movies as portals to enrich and expand the universe of the film," said Lucasfilm exec Vicki Dobbs Beck, who is in charge of ILMxLab , the research and development arm of Industrial Light & Magic . "I sometimes think about it as, the movie is linear and [virtual reality] is like punching through a scene and opening it up in another direction or dimension." (ILMxLab is not listed as a developer on any of the current Disney Movie VR offerings.)
While new VR experience Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine, “a cinematic virtual reality experiment,” is not a part of the app, it should be launching soon for the HTC Vive. Watch the Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine trailer below:
Until we’re graced with the ability to finally wield our own lightsaber in glorious VR, the Disney VR app is free and available here.
