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YouTube VR finally arrives on PC, but reviews are mixed
Google LLC has has been keeping YouTube VR to itself, releasing the 360 video app exclusively on its Daydream mobile virtual reality platform. Today, YouTube VR is finally available for desktops.
Google has released a free YouTube VR app on PC gaming platform Steam that is designed for the HTC Vive. Like most desktop VR apps, YouTube VR comes with some hefty system requirements, recommending a minimum of 8 gigabytes of memory and a video card equal to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 or better. The app also takes up to 4GB of storage space.
Although YouTube VR for Steam is optimized for HTC Vive, Google says that the app is also compatible with other headsets through the Open VR program, and the company plans to optimize YouTube VR for other headsets in the future.
Steam users have had a mixed response to the new YouTube VR release so far, with several users reporting problems getting the app to run at all. Even the positive reviews on Steam noted that the app can use some work. Many of the complaints focus on YouTube VR’s interface, saying that the app’s layout is clunky and difficult to navigate. “Sorry Google, but this application is too poorly designed. It seems that it was created by someone, who does not use VR on a regular basis,” said one reviewer.
However, Google seems to be aware that YouTube VR for PC is not quite ready for the masses, as the company released the app through Steam Early Access, a program normally used by game developers to get feedback and funding for early versions of their games. Google appears to be using Early Access to beta test YouTube VR.
“We’re working on building a complete YouTube VR experience on Steam,” Google said on YouTube VR’s Early Access page. “With this early access version, we hope to get your feedback to help inform design and development.”
Google added that it will eventually introduce “custom in-app experiences” that are unique to the desktop version. The company said it expects YouTube VR to remain in Early Access through 2018, and it promised to listen to user feedback and incorporate some suggestions in future updates.
Photo: YouTube VR on Steam
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