Bigscreen Inc. has been rolling out the updates for its popular cross-platform app Bigscreen Beta, with the most significant being July’s Bigscreen TV feature. This has allowed the app to become more than just a screen-sharing social app, evolving it into an entertainment portal in its own right. While there are a bunch of channels to watch, Bigscreen Beta is looking towards the eSports market to attract new users, announcing The International 2019, the DOTA 2 eSports tournament will be officially streamed via the platform next week.
Taking place in Shanghai, China, The International 2019 has a prize pool of $32 million USD, helping it retain its place as the biggest eSports tournament in the world – the recent Fortnite World Cup had a $30 million prize pool. And for all those fans who can’t head over to China to watch, they don’t need to thanks to Bigscreen Beta.
This isn’t the first time Valve has streamed this competition in virtual reality (VR), originally experimenting with the feature in 2016 for HTC Vive owners. Bringing it to Bigscreen Beta, on the other hand, opens the tournament up to even more viewers thanks to the apps support of multiple platforms such as HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift/Rift S, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Samsung GearVR.
Watching The International 2019 DOTA 2 tournament live via Bigscreen Beta also means you can customise avatars, change virtual environments, and voice chat with friends and other DOTA 2 fans.
The International 2019 DOTA 2 tournament schedule is as follows:
- 15th – 18th August – Group Stage featuring 18 teams divided into two groups.
- 20th – 24th August – Main Event
- 25th August – Finals (First place nets $14 million)
That’s not all Bigscreen Beta has planned. “As Bigscreen makes a bigger push into eSports, we plan to create an “eStadium” virtual environment where fans can gather together to cheer for their favourite teams,” notes Bigscreen Inc. CEO and founder Darshan Shankar in a blog post.
At the end of the week Bigscreen Beta will be launching a new environment to enjoy, a new modern-themed cinema. The app is free on all the aforementioned headsets, and as further updates are released, VRFocus will let you know.