While we once wondered why Facebook would spend $2 billion to buy virtual reality company Oculus, we’re starting to get answers. Two months after Facebook said it was working to bring virtual reality to consumers’ phones via newsfeed ads, the social media company unveiled an iOS version.
Facebook has begun testing 360-degree ads on both Android and iOS devices, allowing users to change their viewing perspective simply by tilting their phones, The Verge reports.
While a mobile app version of virtual reality videos offers a much less immersive experience than putting on an Oculus headset, the feature – already being used by brands like GoPro, Vice, and The Disney Channel – could help introduce the technology to a larger audience. Not to mention, it should drum up advertising dollars for social networking company.
Facebook says it is also partnering with camera manufactures to create in-app “publish to Facebook” options for anyone to use.
Delving into the world of virtual reality isn’t exactly a surprise for Facebook: besides the aforementioned $2 billion purchase of Oculus, the company’s top executives have long alluded to the use of such technology.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously called virtual reality the next “computing platform.” Back in March, he said Facebook would someday support spherical videos in its newsfeed, allowing users to move around inside a video, viewing it from different angles.
Facebook’s 360-degree News Feed videos arrive on iOS [The Verge]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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