Facebook’s 10th annual F8 conference has now begun and the keynote has jumped straight into augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) announcements. Rachel Franklin, Head of Social VR has now unveiled Facebook Spaces, a fully integrated social platform that links Oculus Rift and the online social behemoth.
Facebook Spaces has launched today on Oculus Home for Oculus Rift and Touch on early access. When users open the app they link to their Facebook account, instantly bringing all of their friends, likes, and hobbies into VR.
The app, just like its bigger brother, is all about connecting with friends and having a personalised online presence. Using machine learning, when you open the app and import your profile AI will then generate several avatar options for you to choose from. These are then customisable with options such as hair and eye colour all changeable as well as much more.
You’ll also be able to bring friends into Facebook Spaces, up to three. Here friends can interact with each other, not just talking but also through creation. They be able to draw anything they like, from bizarre objects to toys and even games.
Facebook is home to millions of 360-degree videos. These can also be viewed in Spaces, either on your own or more importantly with friends. And what would Facebook in VR be without the odd selfie or two, there’s an integrated selfie stick to capture all those moments.
Lastly there’s Facebook Messenger. This has been integrated into Facebook Spaces so now you don’t even need to leave VR to talk to friends around the world, you can even video chat.
For further coverage of F8, keep reading VRFocus.
