Disney is investing millions in virtual reality technology

The virtual reality market is still in its infancy, which is why so many companies are practically tripping over each other trying to establish a dominant position in the market. Tech companies like Facebook and Google have been especially interested in virtual reality, and have been investing billions into acquisitions and research, but they’re not the only ones that are interested. Disney too, has been investing in virtual reality technology, and just recently led a $65 million round of funding for a startup known as Jaunt VR. The startup not only develops live-action virtual reality content, it has some homemade hardware designed specifically to do so. 

Many tech companies–Facebook, Samsung, and Google, among others–are interested in the potential of virtual reality and investing heavily in the technology. Now entertainment companies are also staking claims. Disney has apparently led a $65 million round of funding into Jaunt VR, a startup which makes live-action virtual reality content and also offers a camera system for capturing 360-degree live-action videos. For Disney, the move makes sense. Passive entertainment such as short films is likely to be among the first mass market applications for virtual reality. Jaunt has already made some waves in this area, releasing live-action, immersive films such as one of Sir Paul McCartney playing “Live and Let Die” in concert. Disney’s investment suggests that it thinks that the headsets coming soon from Facebook’s Oculus and its competitors are going to be good enough to become widely popular in the next couple years. However, I’m guessing Disney is also interested in finding ways to incorporate the kind of content Jaunt makes into its theme parks. Disney has used virtual reality in its theme parks in the past, such as with its DisneyQuest theme park at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, which opened in 1998. It includes experiences like Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride, where visitors put on a virtual reality headset and sat on something like a stationary bicyle. But DisneyQuest is looking pretty retro and tired–so much so, in fact, that it’s closing down next year.