Facebook just brought VR and IRL a whole lot closer.
Earlier this year, Facebook announced Spaces—giving all us access to friends, video calls, and selfie-sticks in VR. This morning Facebook added something huge to the list: users in Facebook Spaces will now be able broadcast directly to their Facebook timeline in real time using Facebook Live.
And as the video below demonstrates, that can be used for more than just fun. This new way of using Facebook allows us to share videos, drawings, photos, and information with anyone in our circle. It can also be used as a collaborative tool for education and even the workforce, allowing for commenting from anyone watching the live stream.
This effort appears to double down on Facebook’s aim to help bring VR to people who currently aren’t using it, letting them experience the power and fun of Facebook Spaces without needing to own a headset.
Facebook also recently announced that they were dropping the price of the Oculus Rift and Touch down to $399 for a limited time, which makes the opportunity to own a VR headset more tangible for many people…which in turn gives them the ability to hop into Spaces and broadcast live.
Because of Facebook’s role in all of our lives, this move has the capability to change how the broader public approaches VR—and for that, we should all be very excited. One application we’re especially excited about is meeting up with friends from across the country (or globe) and broadcast your conversations to other friends…but there are way too many to count.
Facebook Spaces is available now on the Oculus Store, and you can start streaming directly to your Facebook timeline with your Facebook Spaces avatar.