Virtual Reality

Facebook Spaces brings social VR to the Oculus Rift

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Facebook Spaces – launching today in beta – is a social VR app for Oculus RIft
Mark Zuckerberg, Oculus Connect conference, October 2016
Facebook Spaces – launching today in beta – is a social VR app for Oculus RIft

Last October, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at Oculus Connect 3 and demoed a seemingly far-off app where friends could speak and interact in VR. Today, the first day of the annual Facebook Developers Conference, a nearly identical app called Facebook Spaces launches in beta.

With Facebook Spaces, Oculus Rift users can interact with friends and family in a virtual alternate universe, a metaverse for social exploits like exploring Facebook content, video calling friends, taking VR selfies and diversions like drawing 3D objects with virtual markers. Each user is represented by a customized cartoon avatar.

While VR evangelists have long claimed that it will one day become commonplace to interact virtually, Spaces represents a substantive push to make this sci-fi-like prediction a reality. Similar apps already exist (such as Oculus Rooms and Parties, and third-party apps like AltSpace VR), but backed by the might of Facebook (which owns Oculus), this one is poised to become more widespread.

Mark Zuckerberg, Oculus Connect conference, October 2016

Facebook Spaces requires a Rift headset and Touch controllers, not to mention a VR-ready PC. Cost alone is a significant barrier against the mainstream embrace of social VR, but others – such as hardware limitations and goggle-induced nausea – are also potential hurdles.

Apart from the Rift setup, you'll also need a Facebook account in order to try Spaces. The beta version of the app is available for free in the Oculus Store.

Source: Facebook

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1 comment
Gregg Eshelman
Looks like a 3D version of Microsoft Comic Chat.