SK Telecom unveils 5G Virtual Social World

Taking advantage of its rapidly growing 5G network, Korean operator SK Telecom has unveiled a virtual reality (VR) platform that allows users to perform diverse activities through a dedicated immersive space.

SK Telecom has been developing VR technologies over the past five years and sees its Virtual Social World as a potential driver of the popularisation of such services, allowing multiple users to engage with and create content in a virtual space.

Through the platform, SK Telecom said it would provide customers with a hyper-immersive experience optimised for the 5G era, while opening up new VR markets with partners.

Users can use the platform to interact with others in seven different VR spaces, including retail and office environments, using voice, text, chat and visual services. One use case would be to use virtual spaces with tourist attractions and shopping malls, combined with commerce functionality.

Virtual Social World can be accessed by users of Oculus Go or Gear VR through the Jump VR app, which can be downloaded from Oculus Store for free. In the first half of 2020, SK Telecom plans to provide the service in multiple languages, while offering a version for smartphone users to use Virtual Social World without a VR device.

To accelerate the spread of Virtual Social World, SK Telecom is working with games companies and content developers to secure a wider range of VR services and expand the global VR service ecosystem. It has also forged a partnership with Facebook to offer the service over Oculus Go in Korea, and going forward it plans to shape Virtual Social World into a cross-platform offering that allows access through any device, including augmented reality glasses.