The award-winning virtual reality (VR) tale of a cute hedgehog called Henry premiered back in 2015 for the Oculus Rift, featuring the vocal talents of actor Elijah Wood. Though short, the film gained a fair amount of praise. Now it has been revealed that a re-release of the film is planned for Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR.
According to a tweet from Oculus VR CTO John Carmack, plans are afoot for a re-release of Henry using new video playback tech developed by Carmack that allows for a higher quality version of the film to be enjoyed by users.
The new version will be available in 5k x 5k format with 60fps video on the Oculus Go and the newer version of the Samsung Gear VR. Carmack warns that it will likely be a large download, but the results will be worth it.
“It will set a new bar for immersive video quality.” Carmack said in his Twitter post, leading to some speculation as to what other VR and 360-degree videos could benefit from the technology.
Henry was created by the now defunct Oculus Story Studio and tells the story of a hedgehog who wishes to have friends, but his sharp quills drive away anyone who he tries to hug. On his birthday, Henry makes a wish for some friends, only to find the balloon animals he made coming to life – with less than ideal results, though the story does end on a happy note.
The short film also won a prestigious Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Interactive Program, to which Henry’s director Ramiro Lopez Dau responded: “When we set out to make Henry, it was a step into the unknown world of making an emotional VR movie. While we didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, we were excited about the possibilities. We never anticipated that one of our first projects would be given such a distinction and this recognition is not only a testament to our team’s creative and technical achievements, but also a validation for the VR storytelling community as a whole.”
As usual, VRFocus will continue to bring you the latest news and updates on what is happening in the world of VR.