Facebook Adds Live 360° Video and Creative Tools to Spaces

Social VR just went next-level.

Today at Oculus Connect 4, Facebook announced several major updates to their social VR hangout app Facebook Spaces, expected in the coming year.

The first, you’ll see be able to live stream in full 360° from within Spaces.

Earlier this year, the social media giant gave users the ability to live stream in 2D from Spaces, which offered mainstream audiences increased exposure (and access) to VR. Slate even created a VR talk show tapping the live-stream capabilities of Spaces.

But soon, you’ll be able to watch these livestreams in full 360°—meaning, if they popped on their headset (like the upcoming Oculus Go standalone HMD), they’d be able to “be there” for the livestream.

Shortly afterward, Facebook made another major announcement. Quill, the art creation tool built by Oculus Story Studio, would be available within the Spaces platform as well.

This means that users will be able to share in making art (Quillustrations as Facebook calls them) using the same powerful tool behind critical darling Dear Angelica. And what’s more, you’ll be able to broadcast your art in full, live immersion.

When Spaces launched, simple tools like markers and the selfie stick were a novelty, but made hanging with friend more funs. In the coming weeks, Facebook is giving everyone even more power to express themselves with Facebook Spaces Kits. With Kits, you can combine any mix of items into games, social activities, and more—then save your creations in your space or share them with friends.

Spaces Kits.

Facebook is hoping developers will start building content for Spaces and of their early partners, Resolution Games, has already turned the Spaces table into a an ice fishing experience for you and your friends.

Ice fishing with friends in Spaces.

With Facebook Spaces, there’s so much potential. And together, these moves offer new types of collaboration, expression, and sharing only available to us through VR.

Stay tuned as we bring more updates from OC4.

Jesse Damiani: Jesse Damiani is Editor-at-Large of VRScout and Deputy Director of Emerging Technology at Southern New Hampshire University. He's also Series Editor for Best American Experimental Writing (Wesleyan University Press) and the author of @endless$pectator: The Screens Suite #loliloquy (BlazeVOX, 2017). Other writing can be found on Adweek, Billboard, Forbes, Quartz, and The Verge.
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