Watch The Game Awards from front row in VR
If you don't have a ticket to the video game industry's Oscars, at least you can pretend to be there.
The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley takes the stage at last year's event on December 3 in Los Angeles.
You can get a front row view of The Game Awards for free! -- well, kind of.
This year's awards show celebrating all things games will give fans a seat up close through virtual reality. Cameras will be rigged throughout the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, with vantage points including a front-row seat and an onstage robotic camera that will move around during the show.
The first-person perspective of The Game Awards on December 1 is offered through the NextVR app, which is only available on Samsung Gear devices. The app will soon be available on all VR headsets, its creators said.
Newport Beach, California-based NextVR has spearheaded live VR broadcasts of events like the Democratic debate, the US Open and concerts. In October, the company announced it would be broadcasting weekly NBA games, giving basketball fans a virtual courtside seat.
While NextVR's broadcasts typically involve a lot of action and dynamic movements, this will be the first time the company does a live stream of an award show.
Viewers without access to VR can still watch The Game Awards the traditional way, with the show being live-streamed on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook Live, the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Twitch and Steam.
A live translated version of the show will also be available for viewers in China through QQ, China's massive social network.
"Video games have the power to unite communities from all over the world, and this year we will share the power of gaming with more people than ever before," Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards' creator, said in a statement.
During NextVR's broadcast of the 2015 Democratic presidential debate last October, the stream encountered a few problems with close-ups, quality issues, glitches and delays. Plus, it didn't help that the headset became uncomfortably heated on the user's face for prolonged periods.
The company's co-founder, D.J. Roller, said at the time the disastrous broadcast was "as bad as it's going to get." Since then, the experience has improved for viewers, like during this boxing match in January.
The world will see how an award show plays out in VR starting that night at 5:30 p.m. Pacific. If you'd prefer a view in real life, tickets are available here.
Virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, the Google Daydream and the Playstation VR were made with a focus on video games, but have also seen potential in viewing experiences on the platform. NextVR secured $80 million in funding earlier in August for its live broadcasting, as investors continue to see VR as a media experience.
Correction, November 3 at 12:05 p.m. PT: NextVR is based in Newport Beach, California.