Giants Offering Virtual Reality Experience For Fans
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Baseball purists may see it as the coming of the apocalypse, but San Francisco Giants fans will get to try out virtual reality headsets at the old ballgame this season.
Slap on a Samsung Gear VR headset, and see and hear what Hunter Pence does in the batting cage. The Giants are partnering with Palo Alto-based Jaunt to offer virtual reality. Company spokesperson Taylor Jones said fans can wear VR headsets in the @Cafe at AT&T Park, for free.
"It's got the sound, looking around 360 degrees. So it's really a mesmerizing experience overall," Jones told KCBS.
KCBS reporter Doug Sovern tried out one of the headsets and said it transported him to spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona.
"We're taking ground ball infield practice here at spring training with the Giants in this fully-immersive, 360 degree experience. This is really cool, you spin around in circles, here's Buster Posey catching a pop-up," Sovern described.
Giants CEO Larry Baer said for the time being, fans will not wear these in the stands, distracting them from the live game. But eventually, the team could use virtual reality to immerse fans in different points of view:
"Which might include perspectives from the dugout, perspectives from behind home plate, the catcher, etcetera," Baer said.
