VR headsets are the gateway to incredible experiences, but they can alienate you from your other forms of media. Previously, unless you were using apps like BigScreen, you’d have to remove the headset and return to the real world when accessing your browsers, music, or movies but creators are regularly creating applications that bring a lot of your PC content into virtual space. Plex is a media server that was created so that you could stream the media on your PC or in a cloud to all of your devices including mobile. Now, PleVR (Plex for VR) is bringing media consumption to your virtual escape.
In mid-January, Alex Keybl showed off a Plex client in Beta form that showed off a virtual wall of media reminiscent of the stockroom scene from The Matrix. Keybl is the founder of FerVRLabs and what he showed off here was minimalist, but functional. In the video, Keybl starts by showing off a feature that allows you to mirror your virtual recliner to whatever seating area you’re utilizing in your physical space. You can scroll the wall from a seated position, but it’s built for you to choose while standing so that you can slide multiple rows comfortably. Once you’ve made your decision, you sling the selection to a screen where it starts to play and you can easily travel the video’s timeline with your VR controller.
A neat touch to the interface is that, when you grab a video from the wall, it attaches to your Vive controller and starts to play a clip or trailer while in your hand. It’s a small feature, but it really brings your collection to life as you filter through your choices. You can sign up for launch emails on the website and there’s no teases release date for the app, but it did get greenlit on Steam at the beginning of February so look for some news very soon.
