HTC Unveils First VR App Store, Viveport

Looking back, 2016 seems like the year that adland (and the public) finally embraced virtual reality, helped in part by the release of Sony’s Playstation VR system in October.

For some, news of the platform’s progression helped to increase excitement and accelerate the birth of more experimental VR projects. But electronics company, HTC, spotted a gap in the market.

Yesterday, at Las Vegas-based global consumer electronics and technology tradeshow, CES 2017, HTC announced that it is introducing the first-ever app subscription service for VR content, through global app store Viveport.

Consumers will be able to browse for VR apps and provide marketers with a space to promote and monetise their VR work.

Thousands of VR apps are already available on Viveport and marketers can decide whether they distribute their apps as standalone titles or packaged within the subscription service.

Viveport will also be available to enterprise VR customers and arcades.

Enterprise VR customers include specific industries like healthcare, engineering, real estate and retail, where VR technology may enable these professionals to explore the tools of their trade and assist their training process.

Arcades can benefit through the Viveport Arcade platform, which was released in November and offers businesses the chance to showcase and distribute their apps, as many users are experiencing VR for the first time in arcades.

"Our dedicated Viveport Arcade app store will give operators around the world an easy-to-use digital storefront to curate the experiences they want to feature for their customers,” says Viveport president, Rikard Steiber.

Existing Viveport customers can sign up for a free trial here or access the Viveport Arcade platform here.