How To Watch The Winter Olympics In VR | Screen Rant
People can now watch the Winter Olympics without feeling too chilly by streaming it through Virtual Reality. While it includes full live coverage and replays, including exclusive VR behind-the-scenes footage, the experience also comes with its drawbacks. There are times when doing things in VR feels inadequate compared to real life.
The same can't be said when it comes to viewing the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics event in person, though. Not only does it come with the risk of feeling blistering cold, but the event itself also isn't even open to the general public, as tickets won't be sold due to pandemic concerns. That said, only a select group of spectators will see the event live. This is where VR tech comes in, as it offers lifelike experiences without the real-world repercussions and might probably be the best chance one can get to see the Winter Olympic Games up close, for the time being, at least.
Fortunately, NBC is offering live coverage of the Winter Olympics in stunning 8K VR via Meta Quest and Quest 2 headsets using the "NBC Olympics VR by Xfinity" app. According to its website, both Meta Quest headsets will be able to stream the event live, including over 150 hours of VR footage featuring highlights, full-event replays and recaps, behind-the-scenes athlete training and an in-depth focus on female athletes called "Beat Of Her Own Drum." Those who don't want to watch alone can also start a private Watch Party and stream the event with up to three friends.
Seeing the Olympics in VR is as simple as downloading the app from the website, firing it up through the Meta Quest or Quest 2 headset, and choosing among the variety of available content. However, those living outside the U.S. won't have any luck accessing it. The app also requires a cable subscription, with some users claiming that not all content will be available even to paid subscribers of NBC's own Peacock streaming service. Of course, those with other non-Quest VR headsets won't be able to utilize the app unless they consider watching someone else's stream using VR hubs like Bigscreen.
Playback quality depends on internet speed, so those with slower connections might also have to struggle with blurry imagery. In addition, the Meta Quest's limited 2-3 hour battery capacity could cut some of the event's heated moments short, not to mention the severe eye strains that prolonged viewing sessions can cause. Regardless, it's still the closes thing one can get to experience the Winter Olympics firsthand, with VR once again, saving yet another event hampered by the pandemic.
Source: Meta Quest