Facebook’s Oculus To Integrate With Social Platform

Facebook has revealed new links between its virtual reality (VR) headset and the company’s core app.

“Starting late this year, we will begin to roll out a completely new social layer across the Oculus platform powered by Facebook,” Oculus exec Meaghan Fitzgerald said at the Oculus Connect 6 keynote, according to TechCrunch.  “This is going to enable a lot of new ways to connect on the Facebook — on the Oculus platform.”

Fitzgerald explained that Oculus users will soon be able to use their Facebook logins to gain access to their headsets, as well as enjoy more social features, including direct-posting to the social media site. In addition, users will be able to message their Oculus friends inside the headset and on non-VR devices, as well as create events and invite friends.

And a new feature called Destinations will allow users to broadcast what they are doing inside games, sharing deep links to the titles so users can launch the game on their Quest simply by turning the headset on.

Earlier this year Oculus announced the impending launch of the new Oculus for Business, designed to streamline and expand VR in the workplace. Rolling out this fall, the offering will add Oculus Quest to the hardware lineup, as well as provide a suite of tools designed to help companies utilize VR.

“We originally launched Oculus for Business at OC4. Since then, our customers have pioneered VR in different ways, creating custom applications to onboard employees, collaborate remotely and visualize data,” the company wrote in a blog post. “For some, VR in the workplace has gone from novelty to necessity, but getting started can still feel daunting — especially without ongoing support.

“Oculus for Business will simplify enterprise VR through a holistic approach designed especially for large-scale deployments,” the post continued. “This includes a dedicated software suite offering device setup and management tools, enterprise-grade service and support, and a new user experience customized for business use cases. We’re also working closely with leaders in enterprise IT and services to develop ways to integrate VR right alongside the workflows and services businesses already use.”