Chinese technology firms test out virtual reality for?FIFA World Cup?enabled by 5G as base tech. Chinese technology firms are developing technology that would enable Chinese soccer fans to view the FIFA World Cup in the metaverse enabled by 5G and virtual reality (VR).

The initiatives are a part of a five-year strategy from 2022 to 2026 to advance the development of the regional virtual reality (VR) industry that the Chinese government unveiled in early November. 

Only six channels are authorized to broadcast the World Cup matches on the Chinese mainland, including Migu China Mobile and Douyin the Chinese TikTok.

The video streaming platform Migu, a subsidiary of China Mobile, the state-owned carrier, has obtained the sub-licensed rights to develop a “world first” virtual environment and broadcast the live World Cup football tournament for its remote viewers to enjoy the cup matches. Migu plans to build a "Metaverse-like" space that users can access through virtual reality (VR) headsets to watch a livestream of the game and use 5G as base tech.

Douyin will host VR metaverse experiences. The streaming platforms will share digital coverage of the events with state-owned broadcaster China Media Group (CMG).

The World Cup will be aired live on ByteDance's VR goggles headset subsidiary Pico. To watch the game together in virtual rooms with other users, viewers can create "digital rooms". 

Recently this month, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the nation along with four other organizations promoted a comprehensive industry plan. As part of the plan, key areas include odor simulation, gesture tracking, and eye tracking. China wishes to support its VR sector and achieve a total industrial scale of over 350 billion yuan ($48.1 billion) in 2026.