Defining 360 Video vs. VR

This post was partly inspired by a writeup by Sam Winkler.

There has been much debate about whether 360 video is considered “real” VR. Even at VRLA during a Storytelling in VR panel, Gil Baron (Visionary VR) and Bryn Mooser (Ryot) held up signs saying that 360 video isn’t true VR. They later recanted their statements, chalking it up to trying to start a discussion, but I think ultimately defining 360 Video vs. VR helps storytellers think about new techniques in filmmaking.

The distinction for me is the creative way the director wishes the content to be viewed.

So what do I define as Virtual Reality?

The way I define Virtual Reality has nothing to do with technology. I’ve had people tell me that VR must be stereoscopic. It must be interactive, like a game. It has to have room scale. Etc.

Let’s take a step back and talk about why VR is so powerful and that word is presence.

Presence is defined as a noun meaning “the state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing.” Its synonyms are “existence” and “being there”. None of those definitions imply interactivity or stereoscopic or any technology at all. They relate to a feeling. I offer this: virtual reality is defined by making the viewer feel like they are in a different environment than the one they currently are in. They experience presence.

Therefore, the distinction between 360 video and VR should be a creative one, not a technical one. If somebody creates a 360 video with several hard cuts that ruin the illusion of being present in the scene, then I agree that the experience is not VR. If it’s meant to be watched on a web browser or your phone, then it’s not VR.

But if a director makes every decision to tell a story that keeps the audience immersed in the world they create, I don’t think it matters if it’s stereoscopic, interactive, or whatnot. If it delivers an immersive experience in an HMD it still qualifies as VR. In fact, live action video feels more real to me than a game engine because it simply looks and feels real.

“Some may argue that 360 video is not VR. But done well, cinematic VR is absolutely a “virtual” reality. I’ve felt like I was right in the middle of Paranormal Activity (and been terrified)” — Tony Mugavero, CEO Littlstar

It’s early on in the creation of this new platform for entertainment. I get that people are eager to draw lines in the sand. I understand that some people crave more interactivity than simply turning your head. But we need to stop saying that all 360 video isn’t real VR. It’s the gateway that millions of people are learning about immersive media for the first time and we need to focus up on how to tell compelling stories with it. For many people, they feel 100% immersed and that qualifies as virtual reality for me.