Mostly Human are indie VR developers and they have recently released their first title ‘Just Relax’ a meditation/relaxation app for the Gear VR. The App has received some great user reviews and Mostly Human are one of the first to use a new approach to rendering the environments to deliver a more realistic mobile VR experience.
The app allows the user to sit and relax with gentle waves lapping against the shore, moving clouds floating by, a beautiful ocean horizon and the sound of exotic birds singing in the distance, all realistically rendered in virtual reality.
DOWNLOAD JUST RELAX HERE
We sat down with the developer of ‘Just Relax’ to find a little bit more about Paul, the VR meditation app and how he got into virtual reality!
What was your first experience with VR?
I was introduced to VR by a colleague who had bought one of the early versions of the DK1 as soon as it was available. He said I had to see it, it was the Tuscan villa demo and as soon as I saw it I was hooked and I have never looked back. I’ve always been in love with environments, both real world and imaginary and although it was basic by videogame standards at the time, I felt like I was actually standing there, and the potential of creating my own world and have it feel immersive and real has motivated me ever since.
What is your career background?
I’ve been a 3D artist for nearly 20 years and have worked in both post production as a lighting and rendering artist and also in video games as a lighting, environment and VFX artist. The experience I gained from both fields and my love of environments and lighting really helped me to make Just Relax. Did you build the app alone? Yes I did, but with some advice from friends and a supportive indie gamedev community.
Do you meditate yourself?
I practise mindfulness as I believe it’s healthy to unplug from daily life and just stop for a few minutes. I built Just Relax as a tool to help me do that.
Has the App improved your meditation?
Yes it has, it helps with the visualisation process and gives you something to concentrate on, not only does it help you feel like you’re in a different place, it also helps even when I’m not using the app as you can imagine/remember sitting on that exact spot on the beach, it’s like a memory of a real holiday. The advantage that VR has over traditional media such as photos and videos is that the feeling of immersion is deeper and longer lasting.
What gear do you need to use your app?
Just Relax is currently only available for the Samsung GearVR, but there are plans to make similar experiences for PC headsets such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Does using the app for too long make you feel sick?
Not at all, it was designed to be a gentle and relaxing experience, no camera movement or jump scares, perfect for first time users of VR. I’ve spent alot of time using it, both during development and after release and have shown it to many people and no one has had any issues. I wanted people to enjoy it and use it as a lifestyle tool so it was important to me not to have people coming away from it feel sick. Ideally they’ll feel better for using it.
Where can I buy the app and how much is it?
It’s on the GearVR store for USD $2.99, which you can download here or visit the Mostly Human website to read reviews and see videos and screenshots.
