Gaming is going to be a massive part of virtual reality, and LG wants to help make that happen.
LG has revealed that developers may soon be able to re-map the keys on the LG 360 VR headset.
The revelation came during an exclusive briefing with TrustedReviews about the company’s new – and first – virtual reality headset.
This means that instead of working as ‘home’ and ‘back’ controls, the headset’s two buttons could function as in-game commands.
It’s the sort of functionality that would work well in a virtual reality first-person shooter, for example.
LG 360 VR headset
“Obviously we’d need the developers to actually get in touch with us first, so they could actually map these specific keys,” Shaun Musgrave, LG’s Product Marketing Manager for the UK and Ireland, tells us.
“What we tend to do is open up the SDK to make sure it’s compatible with the application,” he adds.
LG launched its VR headset on Sunday, marking the company’s entry into a burgeoning product category already occupied by rivals like Sony, HTC, and Samsung.
The LG 360 VR’s main rival is the Samsung Gear VR, which made its debut in 2015.
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The Samsung Gear VR
However, the LG 360 VR is significantly smaller than the Gear VR, which could give it the edge over Samsung’s effort.
LG hasn’t confirmed exact pricing, but Musgrave told us it would sit “within the same space as the Gear VR”. On availability, he said the LG 360 VR release date would be around April, in line with the LG G5 launch.
Would you buy LG’s new VR headset? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.