Watching movies in virtual reality (VR) is one of the uses of the technology, so it was no surprise that devices like the Oculus Rift had options to allow users to rent titles to watch using the headset. However according to a report from Variety, it appears that the feature has since been shut down.According to a statement and email that Oculus has sent out to customers, the company cited low demand as the reason why they are shutting the feature down. “Over the years, we’ve seen how people use VR for everything from gaming to movies, and it’s become clear that while people love to stream immersive media on other devices, Rift is used primarily for gaming. These insights inform how we support new and existing features and apps across the platform.”
However this doesn’t mean that you can’t watch movies on the headset. Instead users of the Oculus Rift will have to turn to third-party movie rental services if they wish to watch movies. In the meantime Oculus has also announced that they will be refunding customers to anyone who might have bought a movie before the closure was announced.
This announcement also comes on the heels of Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe leaving the company over a reported disagreement over Facebook’s strategy for VR.
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