cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Gear VR to be a closed ecosystem?

MoeCapp
Protege
According to this article, all software must go though the official channels.

While it is probably a good idea to direct consumers through an official software portal and to safe VR experiences, I'm not sure how I feel about the platform being locked down on what precedent this sets for future devices.
5 REPLIES 5

Sharpfish
Heroic Explorer
Welcome to mobile. Why I avoid.
EX DK2/VIVE/PSVR/CV1/Q2/PSVR2 | Currently Quest Pro (PCVR) | VR developer
RTX 3080 FE / 12900k / Windows 11 Pro

mptp
Explorer
I don't have a huge issue with official channels - it allows for a certain guarantee of quality and security. I'm thinking of Steam, Oculus Share, Google Play etc. Sure, it would be great to be able to download a .apk and install it using adb (or some official GearVR installer software), but I don't think too much is lost by creating an official distribution channel for Gear VR apps.

It's easy to jump ahead to a scary future where Oculus turns evil and becomes the arbiter of taste within VR, abusing the power that comes with controlling the sole distribution channel for a platform, but ultimately VR is bigger than any one company, so if Oculus and Gear VR end up doing a shit job, people will turn elsewhere for their software distribution needs.
Melbourne-based creative technologist. I flit between experimental AR/VR experiences, audiovisual electronics and full-stack web development. http://www.lachansleight.io

Gerald
Expert Protege
What I wonder is how this will affect webbased VR services - does it mean they won't work with the GearVR?

Otherwise I think it's a good think that Oculus curates the first experiences to make sure they all are offering an enjoyable experience.
check out my Mobile VR Jam 2015 title Guns N' Dragons

bp2008
Protege
You can actually install .apk files (Android applications) just by downloading them with your phone and 'running' them as long as you've set your phone to allow this. Doesn't even require root.

For this to actually be a closed ecosystem they'd have to do things differently from normal Android apps. Like not release the SDK.

owenwp
Expert Protege
It would be nice to have confirmation that we are not being actively locked out. GearVR uses some low level features that are probably not part of the public API, like fixed clock rates, so they certainly could prevent side-loading if they chose to.