While Comic-Con has branched out over the years to focus on TV, movies, games and everything pop culture, comics are still a huge part of the show. EigoManga was on hand at SDCC showing off their upcoming app — ComX VR – and we got a chance to try it out.
As the name implies, ComX VR lets you read comics in virtual reality. The app is built on the Google VR framework and works on both Android and iOS devices, so you can download the app on your phone and jump into the world of virtual comics through any of the mobile headsets, including Gear VR, Daydream and Cardboard.
The interface is very straight-forward and intuitive, with options such as turning pages, selecting specific pages and zooming in on individual panels activated by hovering a cursor over icons surrounding the digital comic for a few seconds. While intuitive, it is a pretty bare-bones experience, so don’t expect to jump into any comic panels or interact with the characters themselves; this is solely a way to read comics in a virtual reality environment.
Publisher Austin Osueke told us the app would support direct purchased comics at competitive prices and will also include an ad-supported model.
The ComX VR app should be out later this year and is expected to launch with around 20 eigoManga titles, although Osueke is encouraging other creators to consider the platform as he would love to translate more comics into a virtual environment.
