Intel and Sony Pictures Virtual Reality announced Spider-Man: Homecoming virtual reality experience (VRE) earlier this week, noting that their latest creation is meant to provide consumers with an additional, immersive look into the world of the new Spider-Man movie produced by Columbia Pictures. The VRE was designed to allow users take control of the web-slinging superhero and explore New York City in an effort to locate Vulture and stop his nefarious plans, the companies said. Spider-Man: Homecoming VRE is already available at a number of Cinemark locations throughout the United States and will also be presented at select promotional events all around the world, with the service itself being scheduled to expand its availability later this month. As of June 30, the product will launch for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR, its creators said, noting that owners of any of those VR headsets will be able to download it free of charge.
The release of Spider-Man: Homecoming VRE marks Hollywood’s latest attempt to promote a blockbuster movie that caters to young adults with a technology that largely targets the very same demographic. A number of other high-profile films including Alien: Covenant already received their VR tie-ins earlier this year, and many more are expected to follow suit in the coming months. With Spider-Man: Homecoming scheduled to open in theaters on July 7, its dedicated VR experience may create some additional anticipation for the movie, or at least that’s what its creators are hoping for, as suggested by the fact that the product is being offered at no cost.
Spider-Man: Homecoming VRE was created using Dell’s Intel-powered workstations and software solutions in a relatively short timespan, the Santa Clara, California-based tech giant revealed, without clarifying on how long did it take for the idea to be materialized. While both Sony Pictures Virtual Reality and Intel are major players in their respective industries, the launch of Spider-Man: Homecoming marks the first official collaboration between the two firms, with Intel’s Senior Vice President Doug Fisher indicating that the companies may work on more projects in the near future. An update on their VR-related endeavors may follow later this year.