GoPro is Getting Into Virtual Reality (So You Can Go Surfing From Your Couch)

In the tech world, 2016 is shaping up to be the year of virtual reality, and now GoPro is getting in on the action. Mashable reports that the company recently announced the launch of a new VR platform called simply GoPro VR, which allows GoPro users around the world to share their content in immersive 360-degree glory. The launch coincides with the release of GoPro's Omni, an aluminum rig with six synchronized cameras that shoot in 8K resolution.

While there are already plenty of 360-degree videos out there, they're often in static settings like building interiors and landscapes. As Mashable notes, GoPro has a unique advantage in that it's established itself as a platform for extreme sport photography—the kind of content that would make for great 360-degree VR experiences. Samples on the GoPro VR site include surfing in Tahiti (above) and paragliding adventures, which viewers can manipulate with a computer's mouse or with the smartphone app.

[h/t Mashable]

Screenshots via GoPro VR