Hulu to launch virtual reality app in November

Streaming-video firm Hulu has revealed in a recent announcement that it is set to launch its virtual reality (VR) app in November.

The story behind the story: The Gear VR is a joint effort between Samsung and Oculus to produce a low-priced virtual reality headset. Hulu’s head of distribution, Tim Connolly informs that they are in the final stages of testing for the app and will begin working with several digital media companies next month: “We think this is a smart bet that helps position us as an innovator and helps us learn earlier on what could be a substantive storytelling environment”.

Hulu announced its app back in September, according to Cnet, but at that time, it merely said it would ship sometime this fall. Hulu’s other project in the VR space is an immersive environment which has been created for viewing Hulu’s catalog of 2D video.

Connolly was also quoted as saying Hulu is planning to make more original content that will be exclusive for virtual reality devices.

At $99 virtual reality has a chance at mainstream adoption. There are already VR headsets, such as Google’s Cardboard, that are changing the possibilities for in-home entertainment. These systems are glorified personal video viewers, that have been on the market since nearly two decades. Virtual Reality is something which has been quite a keen area of interest among the people and has formed sort of a niche for itself with Facebook being the driving force with its Oculus and Samsung rolling out the cheap VR devices like the Gear VR. It is not clear though if and when Netflix and Hulu releasee iOS virtual reality apps.

Hulu’s app might end up being one of many more VR apps to come from content providers. Only Apple can do that for the iPhone.