- Google Earth VR turned my neighbourhood into a real-world adventure game - 13 November 2019
There used to be a time when you could impress your family by loading up Google Maps, finding a childhood memory, and zooming in until it became a sort of pixellated memory lane. Your mum and dad would be amazed, and you would be lauded because you showed them their old shed viewed from a satellite on the same thing they use to look up recipes. I thought I was past that sort of technology-as-magic reaction, but since I tried out Google Earth VR on my Vive I’ve been shoving it on visitor’s faces ever since. It s magic. (more…)
- The best VR apps - 14 December 2018
For all the hullabaloo about “VR is the future of gaming” or “VR is dead in the water,” one thing remains clear: You can’t perform surgery with a PlayStation (yet?), but you can with VR . You can also treat a soldier’s PTSD, cheer on a comedian alongside an actual human audience, or make some bonafide art. Point being, VR is and always has been a tool for more than video games, and we’d be fools for thinking it’ll vanish for another decade or two just because VR games have struggled to break out. The best non-game VR apps are what will hopefully keep the technology thriving long enough that eventually anyone and their mother can afford a powerful headset. We’re here to show you just which ones to show off. Google Earth VR Price: Free | Headsets: Rift, Vive, Go The absolute king of non-game VR experiences, in my humble opinio…
- Google Earth VR Update - Feb. 13, 2018 - 13 February 2018
Release Notes: Navigation enabled in Street View peek mode (when you place the preview sphere over your head). Crossfading between Street View 360 photo transitions. Enabled button on nondominant controller to slow down flight speed. Bug fixes.
- Google Earth VR Update - Feb. 13, 2018 - 13 February 2018
Release Notes: Navigation enabled in Street View peek mode (when you place the preview sphere over your head). Crossfading between Street View 360 photo transitions. Enabled button on nondominant controller to slow down flight speed. Bug fixes.
- Explore more, and faster than ever before - 20 December 2017
The Earth is a big place, and with 196.9 million square miles to explore, we could all benefit from being able to explore more, faster. Today’s update lets you do just that. With Street View navigation, you can take in all the sights without ever leaving Street View mode. As long as an adjacent 360 photo exists, you’ll be able to stroll along the streets and roads as if you’re there. Additionally, we’ve worked hard to make changes that more efficiently use your bandwidth, resulting in faster load times. Over the holidays, check out medieval architecture in Sofia, fly over the monastery of El Escorial in Spain, or walk up the Selarón steps in Rio. And as always, happy exploring! Release notes Street View navigation: Ability to navigate between Street View 360 photos by selecting icon in the direction of the next connected 360 photo. Note: this feature is only available upon entering Stre…
- Explore more, and faster than ever before - 20 December 2017
The Earth is a big place, and with 196.9 million square miles to explore, we could all benefit from being able to explore more, faster. Today’s update lets you do just that. With Street View navigation, you can take in all the sights without ever leaving Street View mode. As long as an adjacent 360 photo exists, you’ll be able to stroll along the streets and roads as if you’re there. Additionally, we’ve worked hard to make changes that more efficiently use your bandwidth, resulting in faster load times. Over the holidays, check out medieval architecture in Sofia, fly over the monastery of El Escorial in Spain, or walk up the Selarón steps in Rio. And as always, happy exploring! Release notes Street View navigation: Ability to navigate between Street View 360 photos by selecting icon in the direction of the next connected 360 photo. Note: this feature is only available upon entering Stre…
- Google Earth VR Update - Sept. 29, 2017 - 29 September 2017
Release Notes: Updated pre-installed cache data Fixed crash at start when audio device’s sample rate is 192 kHz Fixed crash when trying to display a message about why Earth VR could not start Fixed formatting issue with Street View photo attribution Fixed bug where Street View photo address would sometimes not update
- Google Earth VR Update - Sept. 29, 2017 - 29 September 2017
Release Notes: Updated pre-installed cache data Fixed crash at start when audio device’s sample rate is 192 kHz Fixed crash when trying to display a message about why Earth VR could not start Fixed formatting issue with Street View photo attribution Fixed bug where Street View photo address would sometimes not update
- Get a Closer Look With Street View in Google Earth VR - 14 September 2017
With Google Earth VR, you can go anywhere in virtual reality. Whether you want to stroll along the canals of Venice, stand at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, or soar through the sky faster than a speeding bullet, there’s no shortage of things to do or ways to explore. We love this sense of possibility, so we’re bringing Street View to Earth VR to make it easier for you to see and experience the world. This update lets you explore Street View imagery from 85 countries right within Earth VR. Just fly down closer to street level, check your controller to see if Street View is available and enter an immersive 360° photo. You’ll find photos from the Street View team and those shared by people all around the world. If you need a fun place to start, check out a couple of our favorite spots. Make your way out to the old ballgame at AT&T Park, or head to the Old Port in Westeros … er, Croatia t…
- Get a Closer Look With Street View in Google Earth VR - 14 September 2017
With Google Earth VR, you can go anywhere in virtual reality. Whether you want to stroll along the canals of Venice, stand at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, or soar through the sky faster than a speeding bullet, there’s no shortage of things to do or ways to explore. We love this sense of possibility, so we’re bringing Street View to Earth VR to make it easier for you to see and experience the world. This update lets you explore Street View imagery from 85 countries right within Earth VR. Just fly down closer to street level, check your controller to see if Street View is available and enter an immersive 360° photo. You’ll find photos from the Street View team and those shared by people all around the world. If you need a fun place to start, check out a couple of our favorite spots. Make your way out to the old ballgame at AT&T Park, or head to the Old Port in Westeros … er, Croatia t…
- Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - 11 August 2017
Check out the upcoming total solar eclipse in virtual reality. From the menu, select Total Solar Eclipse to head straight into the path of totality.
- Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - 11 August 2017
Check out the upcoming total solar eclipse in virtual reality. From the menu, select Total Solar Eclipse to head straight into the path of totality.
- Google Earth VR v1.2 update - 26 July 2017
Today we pushed a minor update to refresh the UI of the mirror window. We also upgraded the cache system — please note that upload size is larger than usual due to this change.
- Google Earth VR v1.2 update - 26 July 2017
Today we pushed a minor update to refresh the UI of the mirror window. We also upgraded the cache system — please note that upload size is larger than usual due to this change.
- Search, explore, and more with Google Earth VR - 18 April 2017
When we first launched Google Earth VR, we knew there was something powerful about being able to point anywhere in the world and start flying. You could soar over landscapes and cities, and discover locations you didn't even know existed. But we also know people want to quickly find and revisit the places that mean the most to them, whether it's a childhood home or favorite vacation spot. So, today we’re launching an update to Earth VR that gives you the ability to search. Just type an address or location name, and you can quickly visit anywhere in the world. We’ve also added 27 new hand-picked locations to help you discover some of the world's most incredible places. You can check out Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany (the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle!), stand on the top of Table Mountain in South Africa, fly over Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina, and much more.…
- Search, explore, and more with Google Earth VR - 18 April 2017
When we first launched Google Earth VR, we knew there was something powerful about being able to point anywhere in the world and start flying. You could soar over landscapes and cities, and discover locations you didn't even know existed. But we also know people want to quickly find and revisit the places that mean the most to them, whether it's a childhood home or favorite vacation spot. So, today we’re launching an update to Earth VR that gives you the ability to search. Just type an address or location name, and you can quickly visit anywhere in the world. We’ve also added 27 new hand-picked locations to help you discover some of the world's most incredible places. You can check out Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany (the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle!), stand on the top of Table Mountain in South Africa, fly over Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina, and much more.…
- Google Earth VR is an inspirational tour guide through a horrifying mirror world - 24 February 2017
Wonder isn’t dead. Despite having easy access to infinite knowledge from a dirty phone whose battery life is never enough, PCs capable of rendering individual hair follicles on brainless space marines, and the frozen treats section at Trader Joe's, I can still get all teary-eyed over a nice view. Set some moving synth music to it, and phew, you got me.  Google Earth VR is Inspirational Crane Shot: The Game, where you’re given free reign of Google’s global imaging data across a simulated Earth, and set loose. Most impressive is how Google uses terrain and imaging data in coordination with some magic Silicon Valley math to render mountains, valleys, and even individual trees and buildings—to magic math’s best ability, that is.  From a bird’s eye view, seeing four walls and roof on every house in San Francisco or London is pretty ast…
- Google Earth VR is a Vive must-have, but - 22 November 2016
Got a Vive? Gotta have this, then. Google’s VR mod of its long-running planet-modelling app was one of the things that was shown to devs and us media types back when Valve were first demoing the Vive. It’s now finally passed on to you, the consumer and/or unwitting sharer of vast amounts of personal data, as Google Earth VR , a free download via Steam. It’s a lovely thing, allowing you to have a giant’s eye view of anywhere in the world, much of it rendered in 3D. Clearly, visiting a blurry version of Monument Valley and looking down at its smudged textures from 100 foot above is no substitute for a real visit to canyon country, but it’s a neat shortcut for reminding oneself of the majesty of nature. And a recent ‘flight’ over Tokyo or Hawaii is good for questioning one’s life choices as one trudges home through the November rain. …
- Now Available on Steam - Google Earth VR - 16 November 2016
Google Earth VR is Now Available on Steam! Google Earth VR lets you explore the world from totally new perspectives in virtual reality. Stroll the streets of Tokyo, soar over the Grand Canyon, or walk around the Eiffel Tower.
- Bringing the whole wide world to virtual reality - 16 November 2016
The world has so many beautiful and amazing places to visit. If we're lucky, we're able to travel and see a few of them. But even the most active travelers can only see a fraction. What if we could see them all? Ten years ago, Google Earth began as an effort to help people everywhere explore our planet. And now, with more than two billion downloads, many have. Today, we are introducing Google Earth VR as our next step to help the world see the world. With Earth VR, you can fly over a city, stand at the top of the highest peaks, and even soar into space. Now, at 196.9 million square miles, we know the world is pretty big, so we’ve made it easy to find great places to visit. Earth VR comes with cinematic tours and hand-picked destinations that send you to the Amazon River, the Manhattan skyline, the Grand Canyon, the Swiss Alps, and more. You can download Google Earth VR today on the Stea…
