Virtual reality headsets -- the likes of upcoming Oculus Rift or PlayStation VR -- aren't just for gaming.
A 360, 4K resolution video posted on YouTube Monday gives a scary, vivid experience of what it's like to be in a ravaged war zone in Syria.
Le Parisien reports (link in French) that the video was shot by Syria's Smart News Agency between May and July in the city of Jisr al-Shughour, near the Turkish border.
A reporter captured the footage by carrying a 6-camera rig on his head, and the result is a chilling view of a ravaged, desolate city with few sounds except for bombs and gunshots echoing in the distance.
The video can be viewed on a standard monitor, where the camera's view is controlled with a mouse. A VR headset undoubtedly provides a much more immersive experience, placing you right there in the miserable conditions from which some of the refugees, which are now traversing Europe, have fled.
YouTube launched 360-degree video support back in March. Since then, filmmakers used the format in some very interesting ways, including a video of Filipino musicians playing as well as a video of the graves of suspected Great Plague victims underneath London.