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Google Earth VR

SmackDaddy

SmackDaddy

Member
Nov 25, 2017
3,151
Los Angeles
Howdy ya'll, this is basically a PSA to try out Google Earth VR if you have a headset. With a couple settings changes:

1) turn off comfort mode.
2) turn on human scale.

You turn into superman (or woman) flying through any city on the planet. I was in awe this morning.

It was very beautiful, it almost made me feel like crying lol. As someone who has lucid flying dreams, this was literally a dream come true!!

Next stop: doing it while on one or more drugs.

Any other VR experiences that give you this amount of freedom of exploration? Have you had any especially wonderful experiences in Google VR that you'd like to share or interesting places you've explored that stand out? Thanks and hope your weekend is awesome!
 
Doskoi Panda

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,939
Yuuup

whenever I show people VR, Google Earth is first. I let them play the tutorial with the comfort settings enabled so they can get used to it... but the real fun begins when comfort mode is turned off and human scale is turned on.

Go to any big city and just start hulk-jumping from building to building. Feels unbelievable

My bro lives halfway across the country but he showed me around his city using Google Earth VR when he visited and it was pretty rad
 
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Aldo

Aldo

Member
Mar 19, 2019
1,715
Yes, it's an amazing experience. The setting changes are also spot-on.

It can be very hit-and-miss if you zoom in too much, but it's still amazing. The best thing is that you can switch to Street View. Yes, it's basically just browsing through 2D 360° pictures, but the head tracking can actually make you feel like you're there. I spent hours just doing that, having my own little COVID vacation in Florence, Rome and Sendai. I also "visited" a town from my childhood and I literally had nostalgia-tears.
 
ghostcrew

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,351
Yep. It's still my favourite thing I've ever done in VR. I've spent hours and hours in it. Seriously, a powerful experience. Visiting old family homes, places I visited as a child, future holidays, the place I went on honeymoon etc.

It's amazing to see these places, to scale, in VR. Really amazing application.
 
Afrikan

Afrikan

Member
Oct 28, 2017
16,968
You forgot to mention the audio/sounds..SuperMan indeed.

As well as the environment audio.
 
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Incite

Incite

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,407
I've always wanted to try it but I just have an Oculus Quest 2 and before that PSVR.
 
OP
OP
SmackDaddy

SmackDaddy

Member
Nov 25, 2017
3,151
Los Angeles
Afrikan said:
You forgot to mention the audio/sounds..SuperMan indeed.

As well as the environment audio.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Omg so sick. The whooshing as wind is flying by you, I think that really helps to sell the illusion.

I almost wanted to hear people chattering as I got closer to earth, and maybe some cars honking very faintly - it feels very alone, which is kinda nice in its own right. Just depends what experience you want :3
 
Afrikan

Afrikan

Member
Oct 28, 2017
16,968
SmackDaddy said:
Omg so sick. The whooshing as wind is flying by you, I think that really helps to sell the illusion.

I almost wanted to hear people chattering as I got closer to earth, and maybe some cars honking very faintly - it feels very alone, which is kinda nice in its own right. Just depends what experience you want :3
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I swear this does happen. I might be mistaken. It's been a few months.

My setup for it

Samsung Odyssey+
Alienware R4 GTX 1080
 
GFdoom

GFdoom

Member
Oct 27, 2017
192
NYC
that sounds cool! How do you access google earth via an Oculus Quest 2?
also on a side note, I recently tried VZfit explorer on the Oculus quest 2. and it's pretty damn awesome. I have a stationary bike and linked with this app (with a secondary device) I'm riding my bike anywhere in the world via google earth. Peep this video for an example.
 
Afrikan

Afrikan

Member
Oct 28, 2017
16,968
GFdoom said:
that sounds cool! How do you access google earth via an Oculus Quest 2?
also on a side note, I recently tried VZfit explorer on the Oculus quest 2. and it's pretty damn awesome. I have a stationary bike and linked with this app (with a secondary device) I'm riding my bike anywhere in the world via google earth. Peep this video for an example.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...



NICE!

Earlier today I was just thinking about how I wish Sony would some of these Smart stationary bikes work with the Tour de France game on the PS4/5. It doesn't have to be VR.
 
aett

aett

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,027
Northern California
Thank you for this thread! I had no idea this was a thing. Used the Steam version on my Quest 2 through Virtual Desktop. My kids are too young to use it, but got a kick out of watching me fly through cities by watching it on the desktop monitor.
 
Xeonidus

Xeonidus

“Fuck them kids.”
Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,270
Loved this when my OR was hooked up. I should hook it back up. Loved revisiting places that have significance to me like cities I visited in my honeymoon.
 
Vex

Vex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,213
Noted.

Is this a better experience on quest 2 headset or pcvr (does it perform better with link or not?)
 
ShinUltramanJ

ShinUltramanJ

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,949
Google Earth in VR is the coolest experience when you just want to kick back and relax. You absolutely do feel like Superman rocketing down to Earth.
 
ShapeGSX

ShapeGSX

Member
Nov 13, 2017
5,212
Definitely the best VR experience there is. Especially this year, when you can't go anywhere.
 
Gangrel

Gangrel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
969
One of the first things I tried when I got my G2. Another great one is flight sim vr.
 
skeezx

skeezx

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,128
i found my childhood treehouse on this thing. granted it was a tiny brown blur but still kind of mindblowing i was able to narrow in on it from earth's virtual surface

and... very creepy too. but google and all that
 
The Benz

The Benz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
771
It truly is emotional flying through familiar places where you grew up. I just really wish they had added some kind of multiplayer component before abandoning it.
 
myojinsoga

myojinsoga

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,036
SmackDaddy said:
... You turn into superman (or woman) flying through any city on the planet. I was in awe this morning.

It was very beautiful, it almost made me feel like crying lol. As someone who has lucid flying dreams, this was literally a dream come true!!

Next stop: doing it while on one or more drugs ...
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You are good people, OP.
 
Quample

Quample

Member
Dec 23, 2017
3,231
Cincinnati, OH
Yes, it's the best non-game VR app out there imo. The awe-inspiring music helps too. It will be complete when street views are fully 3D rather than just 360 degree photos.

I actually used it in combination with Zillow to find the current house I'm renting. It can give you a great sense of your surroundings.
 
aett

aett

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,027
Northern California
TrashHeap64 said:
Jealous of those who can go look at their childhood homes. I grew up on Air Force Bases which aren't available in streetview :(
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I was in the Air Force, so I wish I could see more of the bases I lived and worked on... or at least show them to my family.

It was really cool going down the streets outside of Kadena AB in Okinawa, though. I haven't been there in about seventeen years, so I got a little emotional.

Rndom Grenadez said:
Would I be able to run it from an iOS device?
Click to expand...
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Sorry, I have no idea, but I doubt it. Google Earth VR is an application on Steam and is different from the regular Google Earth program.
 
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FarZa17

FarZa17

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,566
It's great app to play around with VR, but sadly, my local/country still have not been 3Dified, only the satellite view from Google Map.

But seeing other location around the world in true human scale really is fascinating, realizing on how big the world we living in.
 
Arthands

Arthands

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,039
Definitely a mind blowing experience, being able to visit various real life locales in VR
 
Tappin Brews

Tappin Brews

#TeamThierry
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,869
A few years ago I loaded in to me floating in space staring at Earth and noped the fuck out. I love VR, but this is what broke me.
 
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