Facebook joining the world of virtual reality with new app integrations

18 Feb 2015

Almost a year after it bought virtual-reality headset maker Oculus VR, social network Facebook has now started to build virtual reality versions of its apps.

The US$2bn acquisition of Oculus VR last March was a major move by the social media giant as it firmly put its feet in the world of virtual reality. Now, according to Chris Cox, head of product at Facebook, the company is repositioning its app model.

Speaking at a Re/Code conference this week, Cox claimed the company was looking to harness the virtual-reality world, which is “pretty cool.”

“Have you used some of the film demos inside of VR?” said Cox. “You realise, when you’re in it, that you’re looking at the future, and it’s going to be awesome.

Cox explains that Facebook’s current model merely allows users to share “bits” of their lives, videos, photos, thoughts. Utilising virtual reality, users could be “sending a fuller picture.”

The virtual reality space is going through an exciting phase at the moment. Perhaps only trailing drones on the list of ‘The Next Big Things!’, virtual reality has seen Oculus and Samsung team up to make some pretty nifty headsets and Apple only today receiving patents for its own, similar, device.

Last week, toy maker Mattel was reported to be giving its stereographic View-Master a 21st-century update after signing a deal with Google to use its Cardboard VR tech in its next edition.

When major players like Samsung, Apple, Google and Facebook start making moves, you know it’s time to take notice.

Facebook image via Shutterstock

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

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