Manchester City FC launches app for Samsung Gear VR headset

Wearers can change camera angles and see in-play stats

Manchester City Football Club has launched a virtual reality (VR) app called CityVR for the Samsung Gear VR headset that allows fans to watch highlights and matches from specific camera angles and get up-to-date player information and match statistics.

The launch follows a public VR trial in May last year during which the club teamed up with Sky Sports and LiveLike to let fans experience a live Premier League match in VR for what it claims was the first time.

Manchester City has now collaborated with LiveLike again to bring some of those features to all of the club's fans worldwide.

The VR headset will place wearers in a virtual VIP suite, where they can view highlights from a selection of Manchester City's 2015/2016 home fixtures. Looking at a camera icon placed in multiple locations switches the view to the corresponding camera angle.

Other features include a virtual dashboard providing player information and match statistics of the game in hand, and a ‘replay centre' where fans can watch Manchester City-related YouTube content, including Pep's Taxi.

Diego Gigliani, senior vice president of media and innovation at City Football Group, said: "Our trial with live VR last season was eye-opening, with fans reacting in awe of the immersive nature of the experience.

"With the launch of CityVR on the Oculus platform, we are now able to let millions of fans around the world experience that same content too."

Fans can access the CityVR app by downloading the Oculus App Store from Google Play and creating an account. They can then download the CityVR app free of charge.

Once installed, they need to slip their Samsung smartphone into the Samsung Gear VR headset and put it on to get access to the VR content.