You can watch all 360 videos on Vimeo on your desktop and mobile devices. Next to every 360 video’s title on vimeo.com, a 360 badge will appear. Get started by watching this collection of 360 videos, handpicked by our curation team.
In this article:
- Desktop and mobile viewing
- Watch 360 videos offline
- Monoscopic and stereoscopic 360
- Supported viewing environments and headsets
- 360 vs. VR
- Vive Video and Vimeo
- 360 and mobile browsers
Desktop and mobile viewing
On desktop, you can explore a 360 video with your arrow keys, mouse, or trackpad. On the right side of the player, you’ll see a compass that indicates the direction you are facing in the video. Clicking on the compass will reorient you to the original positioning of the video.
On the Vimeo mobile app for Android, tilt your device to enjoy 360 video. You can also move horizontally through a 360 video by dragging your finger across the screen.
Watch 360 videos offline
If you’re underground, in the air, or your wi-fi’s just a bit spotty, you can download a 360 video to watch offline and enjoy it at your command.
On the Vimeo mobile app (iOS or Android), visit your settings and enable “Allow HD downloads.” We also recommend enabling the “Download only via WiFi” setting, because the 360 videos can be as large as a gigabyte.
As you’re browsing the Vimeo mobile app, you can tap the ellipsis (three-dot menu) next to the video title of a 360 video. Then, select Save and Save the video offline. If you’re already on a video page, tap the down arrow in the player to save the video for offline viewing. Once the download completes, your 360 video can be accessed in the Offline tab of your Library.
On desktop, click the "Download" button that appears below the video player. From there, you’ll have the option to select a quality to download from the menu. When viewing locally, please make sure to use a player that supports 360 video. We recommend using a program such as VLC media player. If the video owner has disabled downloading, you won’t see the Download button on the video page on desktop.
Monoscopic and stereoscopic 360
Vimeo supports both monoscopic and stereoscopic 360 video. Monoscopic is filmed using one camera per field of view from one single point of view, whereas stereoscopic has a separate video mapped to each eye. Both types of 360 video can be enjoyed with or without a headset, but the viewing experience for stereoscopic 360 video is optimized for a headset.
Supported viewing environments and headsets
For Monoscopic playback on desktop, we recommend using the latest version of the following browsers with WebGL and hardware acceleration enabled in the browser settings:
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Opera
- Edge
- Safari (Note: 360 playback is only supported in version 11.0.2 or higher)
For Monoscopic playback on mobile, we recommend using the latest version of the following:
- The Vimeo iOS app (version 6.2+) on iOS (version 8.0+)
- The Vimeo Android app (version 2.4+) on Android (version 4.3+)
- Embedded videos on mobile browsers for Android (version 4.3+)
For Stereoscopic playback in a mobile headset, you’ll need to insert a mobile device into a headset with:
- The Vimeo Android app (version 2.4+) on Android (version 4.3+)
Please note: All mobile devices will require a built-in gyroscope sensor for 360 video playback. If a 360 video is played from a device without this sensor, the video will not be rendered for 360 and will play as flat. If you are having trouble viewing in 360 from your mobile device, please consult your device documentation to make sure the gyroscope sensor is included.
360 vs. VR
Vimeo supports 360 video (monoscopic and stereoscopic), not true VR. While the terms are often used interchangeably, 360 video and VR are considered two different experiences.
- 360 video is recorded from all angles using a special rig of multiple cameras or one omnidirectional camera. Users can dictate the direction or view of the video based on a central point in space, dictated by the camera. These videos can be viewed in a headset or on a screen.
- VR (virtual reality) refers to a simulated digital environment in which a user can physically move around and interact using equipment such as a headset and body gear. Users can navigate, control, and influence the environment beyond the direction they are looking.
Vive Video and Vimeo
Vive supports curated Vimeo content on their Vive Video app, which means that staff-picked Vimeo videos are available to watch on Vive and Oculus headsets. You can download the app on Steam as well as on Viveport and use it to discover staff-picked videos.
Please note that the app contains pre-curated videos (i.e., it's not possible to download the Vimeo app and use it to watch your videos on those headsets).
360 and mobile browsers
Android mobile browsers only support monoscopic playback (viewing outside of a headset) for embedded 360 videos.