Bigscreen’s latest update adds player for native video files

Bigscreen’s latest update adds the capability to play local video files stored on a device, even when offline. The feature also supports synchronized multi-user online viewing sessions, provided each one has the same video file stored on their own device. It’s now available.

Bigscreen has always been one of the leading applications for watching movies and videos in VR, with various environments and online multi-user capability. Bigscreen enables users to stream and view their entire Windows desktop in VR, including any videos or applications running on the computer. The app also offers ticketed official movie broadcasts in their virtual cinemas, which is run in participation with major movie studios.

However, this new video-player feature is slightly different and designed with mobile headsets like the Oculus Quest in mind. It allows users to pull up any video file, stored locally on the headset itself, to watch in Bigscreeen. Even if the user is offline, Bigscreen can run local video files, transferred to the Quest from a computer, in any of the various environments on offer. The feature supports many video file formats and codecs, even including 3D video files.

It also has online capabilities, enabling you and a friend to start an online session and watch a synchronized version of the same video, just like you would in any other Bigscreen experience. To do so, each participant will need to have the same video file stored locally on their own device — the videoplayer doesn’t support streaming or sharing the file.

You’ll also be able to use the video-player feature in conjunction with other Bigscreen features, like desktop screensharing. So, on PC VR, you can now have a local video file playing in an environment while also using the desktop screenshare feature at the same time for other things.

This story originally appeared on Uploadvr.com. Copyright 2020