Last month, Facebook revealed its ideal virtual reality camera, a 17-lens video system that looks like a UFO and captures action in all directions. Now the Surround 360 is out strutting its stuff, being used to shoot a short film set in New York's Grand Central Terminal and showcase its immersive chops.
The video is the first Facebook has produced and filmed using its US$30,000 open-source shooter, and while the plot line isn't exactly compelling, you can see what the social media giant is getting at with its big push into VR.
It runs for three and a bit minutes, planting the viewer in the thick of the action as travelers come and go. You can watch the 360-degree video on desktops and peer around the station by clicking and dragging the mouse.
But a mobile device (iPhone 4s and Android 4.3 minimum) or a Samsung Gear VR headset is where you'll get something closer to the true experience. With either of these options you can simply tilt the device (or your head) to look around and it is impressively intuitive.
You can experience the video below.
Source: Facebook