YouTube will soon launch an app on Oculus’ mobile VR headset, the Oculus Go, bringing YouTube to Oculus’ entire mobile ecosystem. Oculus announced the news today at its Connect developer conference, along with other news about Oculus Go’s video offerings although it didn’t provide a launch date beyond “coming soon.”
This means there’s an official YouTube VR app for all Oculus mobile headsets, since Oculus came to the Samsung Gear VR over the summer. If you count the SteamVR app for Oculus Rift, you’ve got a YouTube app for all Oculus headsets. It also means Google is loosening its grip on what was once a key selling point for its Daydream mobile VR platform.
That’s not the only news for Oculus Go video. It also introduced a casting feature that will let people easily stream their VR experiences to friends on mobile devices or TVs. And it’s announced a new lineup of events for its live Oculus Venues app, including live sporting events and improv comedy. With the launch of the more technically sophisticated Oculus Quest headset, Oculus is going to need to prove that the Oculus Go still matters — and focusing on video is a good way to do that.
