Google is looking to make a big splash in the emerging VR sector with the launch of its own immersive tech software, “Daydream,” which is expected to premier within weeks.
Now the company is recruiting its own YouTube stars to promote Daydream’s debut.
Insiders tell Bloomberg the tech giant is partnering with Hulu to create 360 degree promotional videos for Daydream, Google’s hybrid store and user immersive software platform, which is designed to display on smartphone screens and plug into the company’s cardboard VR headsets or visors.
Some of the promotional videos will feature YouTube celebrities Justine Ezarik, a.k.a. “iJustine,” and the Dolan twins, Ethan and Grayson Dolan, according to the report.
Also said to be in the works are promotion deals with video game producers, sports leagues, and music apps.
“It’s apparent they’ve spent a lot of money internally,” TheWaveVR co-founder Finn Staber told Bloomberg. Staber’s firm is developing a music app for Daydream and he told Bloomberg the Google platform is, “revolutionary.”
Google’s mobile VR strategy is designed to be a more accessible and affordable alternative to the high-end hardware and software requirements offered by tech firms like Facebook’s Oculus (FB) and Sony’s Playstation VR (SNE), which require users to shell out hundreds of dollars on headsets and related software programs.
Experts say mobile VR may offer more growth potential than its more expensive tech alternative.
“Mobile virtual reality is what’s going to get the most people to strap things on their head,”United Talent Agency digital media agent Oren Rosenbaum told Bloomberg. “Google’s Daydream will help advance mobile virtual reality.”