App of the Year 2025

The Story Behind the VR App of the Year

A dream to bring the world closer

The Beginning

It started at 17, filming diving students in Thailand. There was something magical about capturing moments that let people experience places they'd never been. That spark never went away.

Years later, while living in a motorhome traveling across New Zealand, that idea evolved. What if you could truly transport someone to another place? Not just show them a video, but make them feel like they were actually there?

Learning to Build

When Apple announced Vision Pro, everything clicked. This was the platform that could finally deliver on that vision of true presence. There was just one problem: no coding experience.

So began months of teaching Swift, learning Xcode, and building something from nothing. Six weeks after Vision Pro launched, Explore POV was live on the App Store. A working app, built by someone who'd never written code before.

Growing Together

What started as an experiment has grown to over 100,000 users experiencing 188 immersive journeys across 22 countries. Every week, new destinations are added. Every video is carefully crafted to make you forget you're wearing a headset.

The technology keeps improving. What started as 4K evolved to 8K, and now reaches up to 16K with the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera. The goal is always the same: make you feel like you're really there.

Recognition & Research

Explore POV has been featured by Apple, Forbes, TechRadar, Gear Patrol, and CBS News. Footage from the app has also contributed to BBC Click. CBS Detroit covered the University of Michigan's clinical research exploring immersive video as a tool for mental health support.

The app is now part of active research partnerships with the University of Michigan, studying the therapeutic effects of immersive travel on mental wellbeing, and Oxford University, who are about to launch a metabolomics study on immersive experiences.

"Making travel accessible to everyone, whether for adventure, relaxation, or healing."

Working with conservation organizations, healthcare researchers, and educators to bring the world to those who need it most.

The Technology

Blackmagic URSA Cine

Professional immersive camera system

Up to 16K Resolution

8K per eye for maximum clarity

VR180 Stereoscopic 3D

True depth perception

HDR Capture

Wide dynamic range for natural lighting

Milestones

2021
Started Filming
First immersive captures from New Zealand
Feb 2024
App Launch
Explore POV launches on Apple Vision Pro
2024
100K Users
Growing community of VR travelers worldwide
2024
Editor's Choice
Featured on the App Store
2025
App of the Year
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year 2025

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