![]() ![]() I turn back to Europe and place myself within the heart of Paris, a city I know reasonably well. So having got the most of a 30 minute, gimmicky view of places I’ve (thus far) not been, my attention turned to how I, as someone who travels, might make use of this incredible feat of technology. After a moment to focus, the occasional jagged edge, bumpy road and plastic-like oceans numb the appreciation for accuracy but viewing large objects from afar, such as the Himalayas, does give the user a totally different perspective on some of the world’s best-known features. Once at your chosen destination, in my first case Hong Kong, the scale of the buildings, roads and surrounding hills becomes frighteningly real. As with other ‘rollercoaster’ simulators and ‘jumpscare’ games, the sensation of movement is both exhilarating and terrifying and with only a slight miscalculation of the hand devices’ controls, one can be flung in any direction at alarming speeds. However, upon zooming closer to the Earth’s surface, things change. Using the two hand controls, spinning the globe allows nothing more than the ability to watch a rotating ball and though the surrounding starscape is impressive, seemingly placing you in the vast emptiness of space, within seconds boredom sets in. ![]() As with the conventional 2D desktop version, I’m presented with a spherical object beginning to resemble the earth as each layer of graphics loads. To begin with, it seems a little disappointing. In fact, with a selection of rather whimsical games to play in the format, the adjustment to a new 3D digital world is not only amusing but considerably more fun that I initially expected.Īnd so, with my fascination in geography outweighing that for virtual air hockey, I initiated my VR experience by going head-first in Google Earth’s VR program. The result is something far deeper than those funny blue and red glasses you wore for that ‘special 3D edition’ of your favourite childhood comic. Having occasionally strayed into using the Google Maps Transit Departures function on my iPod Touch as well as frequent use of Google Earth to track my travels (as featured in a previous TPG article), I was intrigued when offered the opportunity to try Google Earth VR.įor those unfamiliar with the concept, VR or virtual reality, is comprised of adorning a cumbersome and often uncomfortable headset, within which are two monitors displaying slightly altered versions of the image you’d normally see on a 2-dimensional PC screen – one for the left eye and one for the right. Nowadays, with smart phones lining every pocket, the popularity of satellite navigation and all sundry of automated systems to inform us of our surroundings, it’s arguably easier than ever to make plans for and explore our chosen destinations. In the world of map-reading, navigation and generally getting about, it was always my reliance on our cherished Ordinance Survey that saw me get the most from travel in Britain, with small, portable city maps doing the same job upon spreading my wings into Europe. My slightly worrying attachment to the Nokia 1100 which died 13 years after it was first switched on, highlighted a trend that stemmed from owning (and playing) a SNES well into the days when my peers were exploring the streets of GTA’s San Andreas for the Play Station 2. Regardless of area though Earth VR doesn't change much from Earth in that it can take a few moments for areas to fully render looking pixelated or otherwise odd when you first view them.I was never the kind of guy to keep up with the advancing development of technology. As with Google Earth itself huge swathes of land are covered but it's mostly metropolises that look the best. It goes beyond simply giving you a first-person view and controls based on VR though: Earth VR also adds the ability to fly through cityscapes and above rural areas where coverage applies. Google Earth VR lives up to its name by providing virtual reality features for those who own the hardware. It has all of Google Earth's previous frills and a few more besides all that. This culminates in Earth VR which lets you get three-dimensional aerial views of many famous locations typically from a first-person view. Already Google has chronicled three-dimensional footage and pictures of almost every place on Earth spending time from the early 2010s to now creating a 'virtual world' that mirrors our world. Google Earth VR is an extension of Google's existing Earth API. Softonic review A Unique Perspective On Our Very Own Earth.
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