YouTube VR for Oculus Go has arrived

Oculus Go

Nearly two months after it was announced at September's Oculus Connect conference in San Jose, the new YouTube VR app has finally become available to download on the Oculus Go VR headset.

The partnership between one of the leading VR headset companies and Google's flagship platform for 360 and 180-degree videos may seem like a no-brainer, but YouTube VR was once only accessible through Google's own virtual reality platform, Daydream, before recently branching out to competing headsets like Samsung's Gear VR earlier this year.

Whether teaming up with the competition will work in Google's favor remains to be seen – either way, using the app on Oculus Go should be pretty exciting if it's anything like the announcement video Google released for YouTube VR back in 2016:

You don't actually need a VR headset to watch 360 videos on the Youtube VR app – you can watch them on your laptop using your regular browser, or by swinging your smartphone around to view every angle of the video.

Of course, experiencing 360-degree videos in this way doesn't exactly provide an immersive experience, and it can quickly become tedious – not to mention making your arms ache if you're holding up your smartphone.

That's why using the app with the Oculus Go should prove so much more engrossing, as you're able to turn your head and view a video from any angle you choose.  

So, if you want to walk amongst Gorillas in The Congo or watch your favorite singer in concert from backstage, the Oculus Go may just be the best way to jump in to the world of VR video – simply download the app from the Oculus Connect Store, and you're ready to go. 

Olivia Tambini

Olivia was previously TechRadar's Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she's a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She's previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.