Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has announced the addition of livestreaming on the Samsung Gear VR thereby letting owners of the device broadcast gaming sessions to the social network and thereby giving opportunity for their friends to catch a glimpse of the action.
As a virtual headset built arising from a partnership between Facebook and Samsung, the South Korean conglomerate makes the headset while the social media giant develops the software. Samsung Gear VR does not, however, need a computer in order for it to operate as it is powered by smartphones manufactured by Samsung and which run on the Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Android OS.
How
To livestream a game, all that users have to do is click on a button labeled Livestream to Facebook. This can accessed on the Universal Menu. To watch games being livestreamed, users of Facebook will be able to view in first-person perspective. Facebook users will also be able to comment on the session in a section that appears on the gaming screen’s left side.
Currently, the gaming livestreaming feature is not available to residents of the United States but can be accessed everywhere else. U.S. residents can expect the feature in the near future. Facebook did not, however, reveal when its livestreaming feature would be introduced to its Oculus device.
Oculus Rooms
The development comes in the wake of Facebook announcing that it would avail more video content in Oculus Rooms. This would include Vimeo’s music videos. The social media giant also announced that it would make 360-degree videos available to Oculus Rooms.
Facebook also announced the arrival of Oculus Events which would allow for easier discovery and interaction among friends all within the Gear VR.
Another development has been the unveiling of Oculus Voice. Initially, the feature will only be available for English speakers. This will allow voice search and consequently assist in navigating experiences, apps and games. In the future, Oculus Voice is expected to grow more powerful and will include additional commands.
In Friday’s trading session, shares of Facebook Inc rose by 0.40% to close the day at $138.79 a share.