The experiment we did with virtual reality, or VR, was an engaging, awe-inspiring experience. I did not watch any video through the NYT VR app because when I tried to download it, a message said the app was incompatible with my phone. So instead I used the YouTube app, which has VR videos that have no problem with incompatibility.
I believe that VR will benefit Digital Publishing greatly because it will help readers become more interactive. I frequently use the NYT app through an account provided by the university and watch the 360 videos. While they only do one video a day, and more concerned about taking readers places, they are still one of my favorite things about having a NYT account.
I absolutely think VR can invoke empathy. That video from TED talk, even without actually experiencing it, evoked almost as much empathy as I would expect. The NYT did a 360 video in a refugee camp which was somewhere in Europe I believe and it was one of the most emotional videos they did.