Facebook will be launching a logged-in VR experience very soon according to the Max Cohen, Head of Mobile at Oculus VR.
Oculus is a subsidiary of Facebook since the social media giant spent $2 billion to acquire it in 2014. Cohen was speaking to TrustedReviews during the Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, where virtual reality took centre stage.
“There’s going to be a logged-in Facebook [VR] experience that’s launching very soon so you can connect – optionally, if you want to – your Facebook account and see your feed and those [360-degree] videos,” Cohen told us.
“Beyond that as the [Samsung] Gear 360 camera comes out you will have this user generated content of 360 videos. It’s going to be great to be able to transport your friends to wherever you are,” he added.
The Samsung Gear VR
It supports Mark Zuckerberg’s comments on stage during the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge about an approaching launch.
“VR is going to be the most social platform. Facebook, with Oculus, are committed to this for the long term. We’ve recently created new teams at Facebook to build the next generation of social apps and VR.” said Facebook’s CEO and Chairman.
Exactly how it will work or a precise date of launch for a Facebook VR app have not yet been announced. Facebook may decide to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S7 to begin to ship. Every preorder will be bundled with a free Samsung Gear VR headset made by Oculus.
Far from being the isolating experience it may look like from the outside, Cohen also believes VR will become more and more inclusive and social:
“There’s a sense that VR could be isolating, but when you do these social things you realize it’s incredibly welcoming. I have friends all over the world. I have [Facebook] Messenger and Whatsapp and [Google] Hangouts and texts going all the time with a group of friends. VR actually allows me, when we have the right pieces in place, to break down those barriers and be able to share a much closer space with my friends.”
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Would you like to see Facebook in 360-degrees? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
