Following today’s Oculus Go launch announcement at Facebook’s annual F8 dev conference, the company also revealed that Rooms, the social VR space first launched on Gear VR, is getting revamped to inaugurate Go. The company announced two upcoming apps as well: Oculus Venues – a previously teased social event viewing app for Go and Gear VR, and the newly revealed Go-exclusive Oculus TV – a big screen TV environment and launchpad for other streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu. A new gallery app is also coming from Oculus, aptly named Oculus Gallery.
The All New ‘Rooms’
The newly redesigned Oculus Rooms will be available at launch of Go, and includes support for Gear VR. Already functioning as a sort of communal app launcher for multiplayer games, the new social VR space now features tabletop games, a space to share photos and listen to music, and a screen to communally watch purchased and rented movies from the Oculus Store. More life-like avatars are coming too, the company says.
Oculus also says tabletop games from Hasbro will land on the platform soon including Boggle, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit brand experiences.
Oculus Gallery (Available at Launch)
Much like Samsung Gallery, Oculus is publishing a Go-exclusive gallery (available at launch) that lets you stream your photos, videos, and 360 media from Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox, and your phone to Oculus Go. You’ll also be able to stream from your own home media server, which ought to help you offload some those larger media files from the headset and onto a desktop.
Oculus Venues (coming soon)
Venues, first teased at last year’s Oculus Connect, is a new experience for Oculus Go and Gear VR that lets you watch live concerts, sports, comedy and other events with your friends and what the company says could be “thousands of other people” in VR. Check out the quick clip below to see it in action.
“It’s a way to get closer to your interests and connect with other fans, with all the sounds, lights and energy of really being there,” the company said in a prepared statement.
Upcoming Oculus Venues events include Major League Baseball games, musicians like Vance Joy, emerging musicians from School Night at the Bardot from NextVR, stand-up events like Gotham Comedy Club, and more. The company hasn’t published a full schedule yet, but says one is coming soon.
Oculus TV (coming soon)
Oculus TV is a 3D environment with a big screen and seating area. Oculus TV is launching exclusively on Go, and also serves as an app-launching area for VR streaming apps.
Netflix, Hulu, SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, Facebook Video app for TV, Pluto TV, and Red Bull TV are all going to be there at launch of Oculus TV. More partners like ESPN, including the new service ESPN+, are coming later this year.
We have feet on the ground at this year’s Facebook F8, so check back soon for more coverage on all things AR/VR to come out of it.