Snow swirled around as the northern lights danced overhead, the stark black lava fields stretching as far as the eye could see. For the first time, viewers are able to experience a breathtaking Icelandic winter through Disney+’s innovative immersive environment of Thingvellir National Park.
In its ongoing push to bring the natural world to audiences in new ways, National Geographic has teamed up with Disney+ to launch its most immersive project to date. Leveraging the advanced spatial audio and high-resolution displays of the Apple Vision Pro headset, the Iceland Environment transports users to the UNESCO World Heritage site like never before. Standing at the edge of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to visualize the dynamic geological forces that shaped the landscape.
“Since its founding over 130 years ago, National Geographic has strived to foster curiosity and promote environmental stewardship through groundbreaking photography and storytelling,” said David Miller, EVP of Nat Geo. “This collaboration represents an exciting next chapter as we explore how virtual reality can provide unprecedented access to some of Earth’s most beautifully untamed corners.”
In addition to the breathtaking Icelandic setting, Disney+ has expanded its growing VR library with environments from the Marvel and Star Wars universes. Subscribers can now also visit Avengers Tower, Tatooine, and beyond. What’s more, select Marvel films will soon get the immersive treatment in 3D for the Apple headset. As the platforms continue merging digital worlds with real-life sights and sounds, the possibilities seem endless for creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences from the comfort of home.
While currently confined within separate apps, many speculate we may eventually be able to seamlessly voyage between fictional realities and places like Thingvellir directly through our home devices. As augmented becomes augmented further, Disney+ and Nat Geo are sure to remain at the cutting edge of interactive storytelling through their innovative visions of virtual worlds that inspire wonder and create tangible connections to our own.
