Sharkarma Makes Waves in VR: A New Immersive Shark Experience for JAWS Fans
It started the way many great shark stories do, with obsession.
A team of techies, filmmakers, and lifelong Jaws fans united by a deep respect for sharks and a passion for immersive cinema, came together with an ambitious goal. Not just to make another shark film, but to let audiences live inside one.
Not watching from a boat.
Not looking through a screen.
But being there, underwater, surrounded.
Their mission: to create the world’s first fully immersive, volumetric shark experience in 6 Degrees of Freedom, allowing viewers to feel surrounded by the ocean and swim alongside sharks from wherever they are.
That vision is now a reality with the full release of Sharkarma: Guardian of the Oceans, launching first on Steam VR and soon after in pixelstreaming.
At the heart of Sharkarma is director Cinzia Angelini, whose approach blends tension, beauty, and a deep sense of empathy for the ocean and its creatures.
Set in the depths of the ocean, the story follows an ancient guardian shark, a powerful presence awakened by ecological imbalance and human interference.
This is not a film you simply watch.
You move, you swim inside it.
You drift through vast underwater depths… until the calm breaks. Moments of sudden danger unfold around you, not in front of you - bringing you face-to-face with one of the ocean’s most misunderstood predators.
At times, it feels peaceful.
Until it isn’t.
What makes Sharkarma especially meaningful for Jaws fans is its connection to the legacy that started it all.
The production partnered with WildAid, and also involved Wendy Benchley — ocean advocate, co-founder of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, and wife of Peter Benchley, author of the original Jaws novel — who even appeared in the 1975 film, bringing the story full circle for fans.
Her involvement reflects a powerful shift: from a film that once made audiences fear sharks… to an experience that invites them to understand and protect them.
Bringing this story to life in immersive XR was no easy task.
Gianluca Meardi, Producer of Sharkarma and General Manager of V-Nova Studios, shared with the Daily Jaws team that one of the biggest challenges was delivering an authentic shark encounter without causing discomfort. Motion sickness remains a major hurdle with other VR formats, and the team’s goal was to create the closest possible experience to being near a shark, while keeping it 100% comfortable and cinematic.
Powered by V-Nova’s PresenZ technology, Sharkarma delivers truly cinematic depth, allowing viewers to move naturally within scenes while preserving film-quality storytelling, something never before achieved in immersive storytelling.
V-Nova PresenZ, delivered through ImmersiX has been nominated for Innovation in Distribution and Audience Experience (2026) by the prestigious Hollywood Professional Association.
This recognition highlights the emergence of a new cinematic language, where audiences can move freely inside the story instead of simply watching it.
Experience the wonders of sea life
Explore breathtaking underwater environments brought to life in cinematic detail.
Encounter moments of tension, mystery, and discovery beneath the surface.
Feel the scale and presence of the ocean like never before.
For the Daily Jaws community and shark cinema fans worldwide, this is more than a movie release. It’s a historic moment for immersive storytelling and we’re glad it begins with sharks.
The story that once kept us out of the water… now invites us back in.
Don’t miss the chance to experience a Spielberg-inspired shark story like never before. Download ImmersiX on Steam VR and experience Sharkarma: Guardian of the Oceans, that is now live on Steam VR. Download, experience, and don’t forget to share your review with the Steam community.