New 'Google Earth' to Launch April 18th with VR Feature?
Google has just sent out invites to the press ahead of an event to be held in New York City next week. While the search giant has been keeping back most of the details, the company promises to reveal a "brand new experience" for Google Earth as one of the features of the event. The unveiling will happen on Tuesday, April 18, 8:30 a.m. EDT.
While the Google Earth application has most of its functions taken over, for the most part, by Google Maps, the app still remains one of the more visually impressive ways to virtually navigate areas around the world. It's a great thing that Google has not entirely forgotten that the app exists; in fact, the company has just started inviting members of the press for an event partly dedicated to unveiling "the new Google Earth," according to The Next Web.
The event will kick off on Tuesday, April 18, four days before Earth Day. The invited press will see what all the fuss is about at 8:30 a.m. EDT at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York, as relayed by Engadget.
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For those speculating if the new Google Earth will support virtual reality (VR), the team behind the map visualization app has already launched a version with VR capabilities. The team launched the Google Earth VR in November last year to the application publishing platform Steam. The app is compatible with HTC Vive Headsets, and the release notes promises that Google Earth VR will be made available to more platforms sometime this year, 2017.
With that promise, it's expected that the new Google Earth might feature support for Google Daydream, as well as other VR platforms. Improvements to Google's virtual tours and augmented reality experience applications are also some of the things expected this coming April 18.
Watch the video below for the promo trailer for Google Earth VR.
