Last year Google made exploring the world that bit more immersive by creating a virtual reality (VR) version of its popular app Google Earth for HTC Vive. A few months later a version arrived for Oculus Rift then Google went one further by introducing Street View to Google Earth VR. Now the tech giant has released a new update, making the world not only faster but also easier to explore.
The update is centred around Street View. Before, users were able to fly down to street level, check their controller to see if a 360-degree photo was available and dive right in. They would then need to exit that photo (or sphere) to find another, which made the process rather clunky.
Now as long as an adjacent 360-degree photo exists, you’ll be able to stroll along the streets and roads as if you’re there. This is achieved by selecting the preview sphere by pulling the trigger, rather than putting the sphere on your head like before. You then aim the pointer in the direction of the next sphere to move onwards, helping you stay immersed for longer.
Alongside the Street View addition, Google has been working to make changes that more efficiently use a customers bandwidth, resulting in faster load times. This will improve imagery load times on Internet connections that may have been slow in the past.
Take in all the sights with the latest update of @GoogleEarth VR. Now you can navigate through Street View. Get a closer look at architecture or discover hidden paths. Get the update on Steam and Oculus https://t.co/norBUTAJ2s https://t.co/cpIHxCj26w pic.twitter.com/1nGH81e7W4
— Google VR (@googlevr) December 20, 2017
Google Earth VR is completely free for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, downloadable via Steam or the Oculus Store. For any further updates keep reading VRFocus.