ByteDance going big on VR

TikTok’s parent company plans on investing “tons of money” to develop VR-related content.

VR who we are

With a cost of living crisis stemming from a global pandemic, alongside outright war in eastern Europe, reality isn’t exactly at its peak right now. It makes sense, then, that virtual reality is where it’s at right now.

VR isn’t a brand-new phenomenon. We’ve all seen the videos of dads tripping over themselves while playing first-person shooters with a headset. But with the tech becoming increasingly exciting and in-demand, the virtual world is looking at VR as the next step in digital entertainment – which is why ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, are hurling money at it.  

Get your head in the game

According to a report from Protocol, more than 40 job listings have recently popped up at Pico, the Chinese VR headset manufacturer that ByteDance acquired last year. A lot of these job openings are in US tech havens like California and Washington, with roles including Head of VR Game Strategy, Optical Engineer, and Game Operation Manager.   

After a source close to ByteDance operations said that the company had plans to invest “tons of money” in VR, it looks like exciting times lie ahead for Pico; with TikTok’s capital behind it, we could soon see it jostling for top spot in the virtual reality space with the likes of Playstation, Meta, Valve, and HTC.