Introduction to Virtual Reality in Baseball
There is a world where baseball trading cards suddenly grow to be video highlights, where fans can hit majestic home runs in front of roaring sellout crowds, and where a child can stand on a Major League pitcher’s mound and dream of throwing there sooner or later. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are increasingly becoming baseball realities. Dreams are coming true, and practical applications are in development. Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) is constant to leverage latest technologies to push the envelope in constructing latest fan experiences.
The Future of Baseball: Virtual Reality
"I believe the following big step for us, as all sports, goes to be virtual reality," Commissioner Rob Manfred says. "It’s amazing." Consumer adoption is growing fast, so let’s take a take a look at where VR and AR is likely to be taking baseball fans next. One of the best uses of VR up to now is the Home Run Derby VR experience. Fans can step as much as the plate at their favorite ballpark, hear and feel the roar of the group, and swing for the fences. It’s a sensory experience that only VR can deliver.
Video Games: A New Level of Immersion
Home Run Derby VR is one of the immersive experiences in baseball. Fans can play in a custom-built batting cage at All-Star FanFest, or at special events just like the Padres’ custom-mapped Petco Park derby in San Diego. The experience is so realistic that fans can feel like they’re actually playing in an actual game. With the assistance of Statcast data, fans can track their progress and compete with others.
At-Bat VR: A New Way to Watch Baseball
MLB.com At-bat VR made its public debut within the 2017 season, becoming the primary complete live-game sports experience in Virtual Reality. Fans can watch real-time video or archived games in an immersive virtual experience. With a cell phone that supports the Daydream VR app and an energetic MLB.TV account, fans can use the Daydream View headset to observe games in a complete latest way.
Original VR Content: Behind-the-Scenes
Baseball fans are finding original VR content incorporated into the general 24/7/365 baseball coverage at MLB.com. The site was nominated for a Sports Emmy for its VR productions of last 12 months’s postseason. Google Daydream VR: On The Verge is an original video series that gives a behind-the-scenes take a look at the lives of young MLB stars across the game. Additional episodes featuring MLB’s young stars have been released throughout the postseason.
Augmented Reality: The Future of Baseball Consumption
When Pokémon Go dominated popular culture in 2016, it was the primary global example of how AR can change every part. MLB has many AR uses in development as this technology emerges, and it’ll further revolutionize our consumption of the perfect game on Earth. For example, imagine pointing your mobile camera at a typical baseball card after which seeing that card delivered to life because it becomes an actual video of that player.
Statcast Integration: A New Level of Data Analysis
Imagine all of the probabilities of Statcast integration, using the At-bat app. Data is tracked continually, and you possibly can be watching the sport within the ballpark, holding up your device and seeing that batter’s headshot following him across the bases, together with a knowledge stream. If a runner on first has an 11-foot lead, and the catcher has a median pop time, you’ll know optimal running or throw-over situations, based on the up-to-the-second data.
Conclusion
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are changing the way in which we experience baseball. From immersive video games to behind-the-scenes content, and from latest ways to observe games to advanced data evaluation, the probabilities are limitless. As Commissioner Rob Manfred says, "I believe the following big step for us, as all sports, goes to be virtual reality." With the assistance of MLBAM and latest technologies, baseball fans can expect a complete latest level of immersion and excitement within the years to return.
