Is Virtual Reality and 360-degree Video the Same Thing?

With the introduction of virtual reality content in the mainstream sector, there seems to be a fair bit of confusion regarding some of the terminology involved. Even though there is a relationship between 360-degree content and VR, the two are not the same by any means. It is not hard to see why people would have a hard time differentiating between the two.

360-Degree Video Has Its Place in VR

When people think of consuming content in virtual reality, they will envision a 360-degree view of their surroundings. This is what makes the content so immersive. Moreover, when it comes to watching clips in VR, users are often greeted with 360-degree video. Some people are wondering whether or not VR and 360-degree video are one and the same, yet they clearly are not.

To be more specific, there is room for 360-degree video as part of the virtual reality ecosystem. Some games, applications, and VR-optimized content will offer a view that resembles 360-degree content. However, There are some key differences between the two, as the camera placement for virtual reality and 360-degree video are very different.

Moreover, while one is consuming 360-degree content, there is no way to interact with the environment itself. This is one of the downsides of 360-degree video, as they give a wider view of things, but users can’t interact with it in the traditional sense. That type of activity is beholden to virtual reality environments itself, for the time being. That situation may come to change in the future, though.

To put it in simpler terms: virtual reality is all about interaction, whereas 360-degree video is all about a passive experience. Both are quite intriguing technologies, to say the least, and there is a certain degree of crossover between the two. 360-degree Video will show up in VR, yet there will be no VR interaction in 360-degree video. Some companies may hype the two terms as being one and the same, but there is a big difference.

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