Wayfair has launched Patio Playground, its first-party virtual reality application, available on the Oculus Rift Experiences store.
As reported by HomeWorld Business in the April 11, 2016, issue, virtual reality is a key initiative for Wayfair, which now has taken its efforts beyond the development and into the introduction phase.
Developed by Wayfair Next, the company’s in-house research and development team, Patio Playground uses Facebook’s Oculus Rift platform. Patio Playground allows shoppers to immerse themselves in an inspirational landscape, where they can explore and arrange furniture and décor from its catalog.
Wayfair noted that launching the Patio Playground virtual reality app would give customers a resource to customize outdoor spaces with furnishings and decor. Wearing the Oculus Rift headset with a controller in-hand, shoppers view a lakeside scene where they can browse the virtual catalog. They can select outdoor furniture and décor and arrange them within the virtual scene to design a backyard setting to taste.
Consumers can download Wayfair’s Patio Playground on the Oculus Rift Experiences store. The company has mounted a demo of Patio Playground on the Wayfair YouTube channel.
“At Wayfair, we’re continuously looking for new ways to enhance the online retail experience through technological innovation,” said Steve Conine, Wayfair co-chairman and co-founder. “By combining our advanced first-party 3D scanning and visualization capabilities with Facebook’s virtual reality headset, the Wayfair Next team has created an interactive and entertaining way for customers to get inspired and browse items for their home.”
