Google Expeditions Shut Down: VR Tours Move to Arts & Culture

Google has announced the discontinuation of support for Expeditions, its virtual reality application. The app will be removed from both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store starting next June. The company communicated this decision in a blog post, titled “Expanding Google Arts and Culture with Expeditions,” and clarified that the 360-degree virtual tours created for the project will continue to be available – but will be relocated to the Google Arts & Culture platform.

Jennifer Holland, Director of Program Management, Education, explained that this change is intended to broaden access to the content for students and educators.

“The way we engage students in learning has evolved significantly this year. As schools globally adapt to hybrid learning models and reimagine education, we have been carefully considering how to best adjust our tools to meet current needs and prepare for the future,” she stated. “We have recognized that immersive VR experiences with headsets aren’t universally accessible to all students, and the shift to hybrid learning has created additional obstacles for schools in utilizing Expeditions effectively.”

This content will be integrated with Google Arts & Culture’s existing collection of museum tours and other resources, and will remain available to all users at no cost. This development is a positive outcome for teachers and parents who have been working to maintain educational continuity during a period of widespread school closures caused by the pandemic.

This announcement follows Google’s earlier decision, made just over a month prior, to end support for the Daydream VR platform. Launched four years ago, Daydream was an attempt to deliver affordable virtual reality experiences, but ultimately did not achieve the anticipated level of success.