Not everyone can shell out hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars to attend the final three games of this year’s college basketball tournament. But if you have the right gear — specifically a Samsung Gear headset — you can feel like you’re in the arena all from the comfort of your own home.
The NCAA announced this week that it had partnered with CBS, Oculus, and producer VOKE to live stream the two Final Four match-ups and the championship game in virtual reality.
Under the partnership, fans who want to see the games from their couch/courtside perspective must first own a Samsung Gear VR and will need to download the NCAA March Madness Live app from the Oculus store.
While the ability to watch one of the big games from the [virtual] floor may be appealing, there’s something college basketball fans should know before running out to buy a Gear headset (and the Samsung smartphone needed to make Gear VR operational): The streams will only feature 180-degrees of viewing, the full 360-degree wraparound experience you might be expecting from virtual reality.
For those fans who don’t find it economical to purchase a headset, the NCAA says it will also offer a 2D, 180-degree live stream for desktop computers. There will also be 360-degree highlights posted on the NCAA March Madness Facebook page.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist