The online, point of sale e-commerce platform Shopify, has just released it’s first foray into VR with the launch of Thread Studio for HTC Vive.
The app, which is available for free on Steam, allows users to create custom T-shirts and other products in VR and sell them via the print on demand provider Printful. Thread Studio makes use of the Vive’s motion controllers to let users create and customize a number of products, pose mannequins, share photos, add custom graphics, colors etc, then post them for sale.
According to Daniel Beauchamp, Head of VR at Shopify, the app was created in Unreal Engine with Oculus Rift support coming soon, which will make use of the Touch motion controllers.
In an additional blog post by Daniel, Shopify has a VR team that seems to be exploring other experiences:
“VR hasn’t gone mainstream yet, but when it inevitably does in some form or other, Shopify wants to be ready for it. Part of that involves leaving a lot of what we know about online shopping behind, and figuring out what really works best in VR (and AR)”.
We know that Spotify has been blogging on the topic of VR over the last year, but this appears to be their first public release and it definitely looks like an exciting approach.
We will continue to watch this as it progresses.
Sean Earley is the Executive Editor of AR/VR Magazine & co-founder of RobotSpaceship Podcast Network. He is the Director of New Biz Development and Publishing at KEMWEB, a musician, producer & consultant. He loves guitars, VR and coffee.
