The NBA is tossing sports fans into the deep end of technology Tuesday night by offering the first game of the season in virtual reality, in realtime.
All you need is a Gear VR headset and you'll be able to sit down with a beer and a hotdog and enjoy as Stephen Curry and the 2014-2015 champion Golden State Warriors take on the New Orleans Pelicans, all from the comfort of your own living room.
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The company facilitating the immersive experience is NextVR, the same one that gave viewers a front seat at the CNN presidential debates last month.
Similarly, the NBA and Turner Sports confirmed to Mashable that VR viewers of tonight's NBA game will also be virtually seated (via VR camera) at center court -- pretty much the best seat in the house.
And instead of the commercials most viewers at home will watch, VR viewers will be treated to the same entertainment as fans at Oracle Arena in Oakland, such as team dancers and fans getting to shoot half-court shots for prizes. The VR experience will include the pre-game championship ring ceremony.
What this means for television at this early juncture is unclear, but if realtime streaming of sports in VR takes off, we should all get ready for VR commercials -- in whatever form they take.
Like the aforementioned debates, VR viewers will be able to look around at the area surrounding the VR camera, but they won't have any control of the camera itself, nor will they be able to directly interact with other fans or players. Nevertheless, this embrace of VR on the most important day of the season for the NBA is clearly a sign that the technology has arrived.
However, the Gear VR has its limitations as it doesn't offer the kind of immersive experience possible with the pricier Oculus Rift (coming in 2016) or the HTC Vive (rumored to be coming later this year). But at price of $99, compared to the cost of an Oculus Rift system (about $1,500), no matter the quality, Samsung's device is a cheap way to test the VR waters for those new to the technology.
Earlier Tuesday, in an unrelated development, rival California team, the Sacramento Kings, announced an investment in VR company VOKE. That company will help the team stream its opening night game on Wednesday.
Assuming you have the Gear VR and the Samsung Note 4 or Galaxy S6 phone, you'll need to go into the Oculus Home interface to download the NextVR app to watch the game. The NBA's first-ever VR streaming game kicks off tonight at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET.