Virtual reality continues to make waves with the release of "Banshee Chapter," the first full-length film designed specifically to be watched with the Oculus Rift headset.
The horror film's release serves as an expansion for the Oculus Rift, which is widely considered to be a device used for gaming, according to CNET. The headset gives users the chance to experience virtual worlds as if they were in real settings.
Blair Erickson, the director of "Banshee Chapter," said viewers will be able use the Oculus Rift to look around in a scene and feel as if they are actually in the movie.
Oculus is expected to make a consumer model of its VR headset available sometime in 2015, CNET reported. However, a specific release date has yet to be provided.
The suspense thriller is based on real events, and centers on an investigative journalist who is looking for a missing friend previously involved in chemical experiments done by the Central Intelligence Agency, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"When we shot the film, we shot it in 3-D using a lot of ambient lighting and [point of view]-style footage," said Erickson, who has been working with virtual reality since the 1990's. "Once we saw that the Oculus Rift was sort of a technology that was sort of real and ready to go, we thought, could we be the first film to release and utilize this in a way that would make for an incredible experience?"
The filmmakers plan to improve the movie even more, due to the ongoing nature of the project. Erickson added that while the film is still in its early stages, the Oculus Rift is the first device to provide the experience he was aiming for.
"You can already see the power and the potential, and how this medium is going to be something that truly redefines entertainment and truly redefines what an experience is to the audience," he said.
Horror movie fans can download "Banshee Chapter" now for free.
