Oculus Rift Turns Netflix Into Trippy Movie Theater

News
By published

A new Netflix hack for Oculus Rift turns the streaming app into a virtual theater you can browse by tilting your head.

The Oculus Rift can already immerse us completely in our favorite movies, but what if it could change the way we browse for those flicks? That's a question that a few developers sought to answer with Oculix, an Oculus-ready version of the Netflix app that turns the main menu into the trippiest 3D movie theater you've ever seen.

Created as part of Netflix's official Hack Day for developers, Oculix lets you browse Netflix's streaming library by tilting your head and performing hand gestures. Floating icons for movies and TV shows surround your peripheral vision, allowing you to look around freely and "grab" whatever you feel like watching.

MORE: 8 Amazing Oculus Rift Uses

Once you make a selection in Oculus, you're taken into a virtual theater complete with fake walls. While it doesn't look like Oculix will play the actual videos in 3D, the illusion of being at the movies is a neat one. 

Other nifty creations from recent Hack Days include a radial in-app keyboard for use with the PS3's analog stick, and a Sleep Tracker app that uses FitBit to detect at which point during a binge watching session you've fallen asleep (you know you've done it), so you can pick up where you nodded off.

While Oculix may not see a commercial release, it's only a matter of time before the Oculus Rift brings you to the movies. Oculus VR owner Facebook is reportedly in talks with major movie studios to create "Oculus experiences," which could allow fans to become immersed in an upcoming film's world before it hits theaters.

via Mashable, Netflix

Mike Andronico is an Associate Editor at Tom's Guide. He watches a moderate amount of Netflix. Follow Mike @MikeAndronico and on Google+. Follow us @TomsGuide, on Facebook and on Google+

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.

4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • d_kuhn
    I should probably just man up and buy the kit... 1k x 1k is getting pretty close to a usable resolution. I just keep thinking to myself... 4k phone screens are out now, and 2k x 2k resolution would be TOTALLY usable - maybe dev kit 3?
    Reply
  • alidan
    probably not, this is aimed at gaming and nothing can handle 4k well yet...
    remember this is a 1920x1080 split in 2, it still renders it at 1920x1080

    3840X 2160 would being most pcs it its knees and is not playable at 60fps unless you drop quality.

    buy a kit, and if you dont like it you can probably get close to retail on ebay.
    Reply
  • d_kuhn
    Yea I know... but it's what I want!!! The problem is just pushing the pixels... I see it from a computational side as more like a 3d 2550x1440 screen... the system isn't computing two totally independent views but rather one view from two slightly different angles. Once interfaces go mainstream that can push the pixels I think we'll see something... but HDMI 2 seems to be taking forever.
    Reply
  • cats_Paw
    This thing has been in development for so long, it might miss its chance if other VR products hit the market before them.
    I was hyped for this back when it was getting started, but its easier to wait for next seasons of my series than this.
    Reply