How PlayStation VR gives you the best seat in the stadium for the FIFA World Cup™

The Knockout Stage may only be underway, but this FIFA World Cup™ has already given us a wealth of excitingly tense and explosive moments. It you’re as excited as us to watch the last 16, then you’ll want to get as close to the action as possible. And you won’t find a better way than through the BBC Sports VR – 2018 World Cup Russia™ app.

You’ll be able to watch every BBC fixture of the tournament live. Just want to relive the highlights from previous games? PS VR has you covered, letting you pick the best of the past few weeks at the touch of the button.

The app has a whole suite of features to make your experience as immersive and customisable as possible: choose from multiple camera angles, check fixture times and review your team’s line-up. Get yourself in the best position from the comfort of your own home. Here’s how.

Get the best seat in the stadium

Upon starting the application, you are presented with a personal executive box with a large window looking out into the stadium. When an event starts, you’ll be automatically moved to the best seat in the stadium – you won’t miss a minute of the match.

Your choice of views

The entirety of the pitch can be seen, corner flag to corner flag. With six degrees of freedom, the view allows you to experience the game as if you were sitting in the actual stadium.

You’ll have three viewing positions to choose between: one behind each goal and one looking directly down the half-way line.

You’re free to switch between these three at any time during a match at the touch of button, getting you in close behind the goals for the perfect view for every corner, penalty and free-kick. This unique vantage point has proved to be our favourite way of catching the best goals the tournament so far.

Keep up to date with video on demand

Within the executive box you can find a number of virtual TVs. Use these for video on demand, review times for up-coming games and survey the latest results.

Looking for info on line ups, formations, scores and yellow/red cards? Simply bring up the Dualshock 4 controller to review all the app’s notifications. And with a tap of the controller’s touchpad, you can send the traditional TV broadcast feed direct to your TV, making sure the rest of the household doesn’t miss out on the action.

The tech behind the app

With a button touch letting you select which angle you want to watch the match from and
and the ability to freely move your head around to focus on what you want to see, you’ve never been more in control. But how does it work?

The wide-angle lenses capturing the stadium’s atmosphere

Sony has special 4K cameras setup inside all 12 of the FIFA World Cup™ stadiums. These cameras each have a special wide-angle lens, allowing them to capture not just all the action on the pitch, but the atmosphere of the wider stadium.

Running simultaneously alongside these is a second, more traditional broadcast stream. It’s this stream you’ll be able to watch from the app’s virtual TV.

The combination gives you the best of both worlds: soak in the atmosphere like you’re actually there, or catch the match with all the camera angles you’re used to. And both are housed in the same app.

The real time info updates

Sony provide the camera data, while FIFA partners provide 2D and 360 Videos and all the data. It means all that crucial info -the line ups, formations, scores – all are pulled together in real time, so you always know what’s happening.

Get watching now

You can watch the upcoming fixtures via your PS VR simply by downloading the free app from PlayStation Store. Need to confirm those match times? Not to worry, we got you:

2nd July