Brisbane, Australia-based group #include today released a new app called ViewR that lets you observe a PC VR session in action from an Android mobile device.
ViewR essentially inserts another camera into the VR game, letting a spectator hold up their Android phone or tablet to watch what’s going on, replete with positional tracking for the non-VR observer. Up to four devices can connect into the space at once.
ViewR is available as a Unity SDK that developers can include in the VR games for free, but individual gamers can also run the ViewR PC installer to add the functionality to an existing game too.
To date, the studio has modded ViewR into Superhot VR, Beat Saber, and Budget Cuts to demonstrate just how powerful the concept is.
You can download ViewR for free today, which includes the PC installer and an app that supports Android 4.4 (KitKat) devices or higher; those devices are capable of calculating positional tracking on their own, although older phones will require the use of a Vive Tracker to play.
Support for both OSX and iOS is currently on the studio’s road map, and could arrive sometime next year.
The company says that since ViewR is WiFi intensive, a WiFi access point capable of 802.11n or higher is ideal for optimal performance, with as few devices connected as possible.
