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2017 to see increase in VR usage with Oculus, Youtube

Johannesburg - Virtual Reality is likely to see a spike in usage in 2017 with numerous manufacturers unveiling new technologies in the industry – the latest being Facebook’s Oculus Rift.

The Oculus Touch is the navigator control paired with the VR headset – the Rift. 

“Touch lets you bring your hands into VR for the most immersive experience possible. You can gesture intuitively and manipulate digital objects with precision — making your VR experiences more seamless and comfortable for a deeper sense of presence,” Facebook said on their blog.

READ: Facebook's Oculus pushes VR with new gear

The Touch will be launched alongside 54 games and experiences designed to give the user a more immersive VR experience. 

“Hand presence opens up new opportunities to interact with others while experiencing VR — and this is just the first step. We can’t wait to see the next wave of immersive content made possible with Touch,” the blog said. 

In 2014, Facebook acquired the Oculus VR company, while March this year, the Oculus Rift consumer product was announced. 

Facebook also partnered with Samsung for the Gear VR, powered by Oculus. The social network’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, earlier this year made an appearance at the launch of the Galaxy S7 which was paired with the VR headset and 360 degree camera.

Meanwhile, streaming website YouTube this week announced that it would allow users to stream 4K videos live and in 360 degrees. 

READ: Hospitals try giving patients a dose of VR

In terms of 360 degree virtual reality, YouTube's screening of 1080p HD content results in a softer, pixelated picture while in 4K resolution this content will be sharper and more realistic to the eye. 

“With 360 4K live streams, the sky is (literally) the limit. Get ready for 360 concert and event streams that look sharper, cleaner, and brighter than ever before,” YouTube said in a statement.

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