National Geographic is no stranger to new media. The network has produced a slew of immersive virtual reality experiences, 360 degree videos, and even its own “Space Projection Helmets” for its big-budget show One Strange Rock. Today, it’s finally delivering its first immersive experience for the Apple Vision Pro: A Disney+ environment featuring Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park. Now you can sit back and watch The Avengers in 3D amid pristine white snow, towering rock formations and a clear blue sky (or a star-filled on at night). Alongside that film, Disney+ is also adding 3D versions of The Age of Ultron and the first two Ant-Man movies today.
While standing in the middle of a snow-filled park isn’t as adventurous as, say, rowing a kayak through Arctic waters in VR, the environment shows that Nat Geo isn’t completely ignoring the Vision Pro. Apple’s headset has sorely lacked truly immersive experiences, outside of the “Encounter Dinosaurs” demo it shipped with, as well as Marvel’s What If…?
I’m not holding my breath for a big-budget National Geographic experience only meant for the Vision Pro, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Nat Geo could reconfigure some of its existing VR projects to work on the Vision Pro, or even adapt One Strange Rock’s unique helmet projection view. (I’d bet money only very few people ever saw the footage in that form.)
