Plex Steps Into Virtual Reality For Daydream-Equipped Android Phones

To get started, you will of course need a Daydream-capable Android smartphone along with a Daydream View VR headset. Then, using your Daydream remote control, you are able to navigate through your library and watch your movies and TV shows in immersive virtual reality. Video content can be played locally from your smartphone or from your Plex Media Server.

Plex is also adding in a social component to VR viewing, allowing you to invite up to three friends to sit down on the virtual couch and watch "The Martian" for the thirtieth time. Each person is given their own avatar, which appears in a virtual scene -- a modern apartment and a drive-in theater are available.

"Head positions are updated in real-time, so you can see what everyone’s looking at, and you can click the remote button to talk to the group," writes the Plex team. "There is a ton of fancy technology behind the scenes, but to anyone using it, it’s just an incredibly engaging and (dare we say?) intimate way to watch videos together, regardless of where in the world everyone is."

There are a couple of things to keep in mind, however, when viewing your Plex content in virtual reality. In addition to the aforementioned hardware requirements, you'll need to download the separate Plex VR app for Android. While viewing your content in VR is free for everyone, you will need Plex Pass ($15/month, $40/year or $120 lifetime) to view content with your friends. Likewise, the drive-in scene is only available for Plex Pass subscribers.