Virtual Reality (VR) is the ability to be virtually present in a space created by the rendering of natural and/or synthetic image and sound correlated by the movements of the immersed user allowing interacting with that world. The immersive multimedia experience has been an exploration topic for several years. With the recent progress made in rendering devices, such as Head mounted displays (HMD), a significant quality of experience can be offered. Before any possible standardization, it is necessary to study the field:

• to understand how the equipment used for creating such an immersive experience works, e.g. by collecting information on the optical systems and audio rendering processes;
• to evaluate the relevance to Virtual Reality for 3GPP;
• to identify the possible points of interoperability, and hence potential standardization.

Use cases for Virtual Reality need to be listed and mapped to the already existing 3GPP services if applicable. Media formats required for providing the immersive experience need to be identified and potentially evaluated subjectively so as to extract requirements on minimum device and network capabilities.

The scope of the present document is to investigate the relevance of Virtual Reality in the context of 3GPP. Virtual Reality is the ability to be virtually present in a non-physical world created by the rendering of natural and/or synthetic image and sound correlated by the movements of the immersed user allowing to interact with that world. With recent progress made in rendering devices, such as Head mounted displays (HMD), a significant quality of experience can be offered. By collecting comprehensive information on VR use cases, existing technologies and subjective quality, the report attempts to identify potential gaps and relevant interoperability points that may require further work and potential standardization in 3GPP in order to support VR use cases and experiences in 3GPP user services. The report primarily focuses on 360 degrees video and associated audio, which support three degrees of freedom (3DOF).