GoPro unveils new VR video platform and pricing for 360-degree Omni camera rig

The Omni camera rig will set you back £3,500

The Omni rig uses six GoPro cameras to shoot 360-degree video (GoPro)

GoPro has released a fresh batch of details about its upcoming Omni 360-degree camera rig, as well as its future ambitions in the fast-growing world of VR.

The Omni, essentially a frame which holds six GoPro Hero4 Black cameras in all directions, will set buyers back $5,000 (£3,500) - that sounds like a lot, but for professional filmmakers it might be a more affordable option than something like the £42,000 Nokia OZO camera, or indeed GoPro's own £10,000 Odyssey rig, which holds 16 cameras.

The Omni's price includes the six cameras, which would cost around £2,400 on their own, as well as the software needed to stitch the cameras' footage together into a single 360-degree video.

If you've already got six Hero4 cameras, the frame can be bought on its own for $1,500 (£1,050).

Similar products already exist - Freedom 360's Explorer, a frame which holds six GoPro cameras for shooting 360-degree video, is available for around £570. However, that doesn't include the price of the cameras or the stitching software.

GoPro is also releasing a new platform where users will be able to watch all this 360-degree content.

GoPro VR, available on the web and through a mobile app, will showcase "original content from GoPro and a global community of artists," according to the company. Naturally, all the content on the platform will be viewable through a mobile VR headset, like Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR.

GoPro VR goes live on Monday 18 April at 8 a.m PT (4 p.m BST), the same time that pre-orders for the Omni begin.

A skiier uses the Omni camera rig on the slopes (GoPro)

GoPro will be demonstrating the new products at the NAB show in Las Vegas this week, and is also set to show off its live 360-degree video streaming HEROCast products in a few demonstrations.

If you've ever seen an amazing snowboarding, BASE jumping or motor racing video on YouTube, chances are it was shot on a GoPro - so expect to see filmmakers and creators making full use of these new VR products in the near future.