Lionsgate, Qualcomm team up for 'Power Rangers' VR experience

Qualcomm subsidiary Qualcomm Technologies worked with Lionsgate to get the Power Rangers Virtual Reality Experience ready in time for CES in Las Vegas next month.

In anticipation of Lionsgate’s Power Rangers film opening March 24, 2017, the companies built a VR experience allowing users to pilot the Power Ranger zords. The whole experience is being run by the Snapdragon 835 processor.

"Lionsgate is at the forefront of innovative and immersive storytelling backed by a rich portfolio of premium content," said Mike Finley, senior vice president and president in North America and Australia for Qualcomm Technologies, in a statement. "We're happy to be working with Lionsgate to create an exciting virtual reality experience for Power Rangers fans through the technologies we've implemented on Snapdragon 835."

In particular, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 835 is designed to assist with high VR frame rates, immersive audio, HD video and enhanced 3D graphics with real-time rendering.

"We're delighted to team with Qualcomm Technologies on a virtual reality experience that will bring fans closer to the action of Saban's Power Rangers as they prepare for the film to arrive on the big screen," said Paula Kupfer, senior vice president of global partnerships and promotions at Lionsgate. "Qualcomm Technologies' cutting-edge VR technology provides a platform for a compelling Power Rangers experience and represents a major evolution in the fidelity and immersion made possible through mobile VR."

The Power Rangers VR experience was produced with VR and animation studio Reel FX and will be on display at the Qualcomm CES booth. Following CES, the companies plan on expanding the initiative internationally, including China.

RELATED: Fox intros The Martian VR Experience, plans more VR content

Other major studios have begun ramping up activities around VR content. Like Lionsgate’s supplemental plan for Power Rangers, 21st Century Fox is also experimenting with VR experiences built around existing titles. Last month, Fox released The Martian VR Experience, which is based on the 2015 film The Martian.