Swarovski's VR shopping app is glittery virtual decadence
Wasn't VR supposed to make shopping more eventful?
Mixed reality apps from the likes of Ikea and Edmunds already let you preview things like furniture and cars. Keen to jump on an emerging trend, Swarovski is releasing its own VR experience. The crystal maker's bizarre new app offers a virtual shopping excursion through a random home stocked with insanely overpriced items. It's as escapist as VR gets, because there's no way anyone in their right mind would drop thousands of dollars on one of these faux-luxury products in real life.
No, that's not virtual reality causing your head to spin, it's the ludicrously priced $5,500 vase planted across the room. You can even buy it on the spot, using your MasterPass account. Is this the future of shopping, now? Not likely. It's not as cool as Nike's in-store projection tech that assists in designing your next pair of sneakers. Nor is it as useful as Ikea and Edmunds' respective apps that help with practical issues (like personalizing large and costly items). We doubt anyone is losing sleep wondering whether a $600 Swarovski night light will fit on their bedside table. But, if you're still keen, the Atelier Swarovski Virtual Showroom app hits iOS and Android in October.
