• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, December 17, 2019

Paramount Pictures is about to make virtual reality a bit more practical.

Rather than a consumer detaching for a VR experience, Paramount just signed a multiyear deal with Bigscreen so people can watch hit movies together in 2D and 3D virtual reality.

The virtual screenings can be viewed on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, HTC Vive, Valve Index, SteamVR headsets and all Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality headsets

"We're excited to be a part of this experiment using cutting-edge technology to give fans a new entertainment option," stated Bob Buchi, president, worldwide home entertainment, Paramount Pictures. 

Consumers with headsets can voice-chat with each other and create personal avatars. The movies, such as "Top Gun," "Transformers" and "Ghost in the Shell," are streamed on screens inside virtual cinemas at predesignated times.

Four new pay-per-view movies premiere in Bigscreen each week, running for one week, with a new lineup the following week.

Bigscreen says its VR platform has more than 1 million users.

For practical virtual reality, that’s a good start.