Oculus is rolling out a couple of new features and goodies for the Samsung Gear VR, making sure that no one gets bored with the headset.
As for what exactly is in store for users, a new video content and a redesigned Oculus environment are coming, but what stands out in the bunch is the support for Facebook 360-degree photos.
Facebook 360-Degree Photos
Facebook will have 360 photos in the News Feed, and that means users will soon be able to take panoramic shots via their smartphones or 360-degree cameras and upload it to the social media website. They will have the option to view the stills from different perspectives by dragging the image around with their finger — cursor on the desktop — or move their handheld device and set it in varying angles. It's pretty similar to how Facebook 360-degree videos work.
What's more, the 360-degree photos on Facebook will be viewable through the Oculus 360 Photos app. Also, there'll be a nifty way to access them on a compatible Samsung smartphone. To do this, open a 360 photo, tap on the button that reads "View in VR" positioned on the top left corner and place the handset on the Gear VR.
Oculus says this will go official "in the coming weeks," so it's best to keep an eye out for it.
Apps And Video Content
The current lineup of Oculus apps for the Gear VR is now more than 250 and counting, with the notable recent release being Minecraft: Gear VR Edition. Other games worth mentioning are Gunjack, Bait!, Land's End, Lucky's Tale and Dreadhalls.
On top of that, the VR documentary titled Nomads is hitting the Oculus store, featuring the Mongolian yak herders and Kenyan Maasai warriors, to name a few. That'll be followed by a new Deadliest Catch video on Discovery VR a week after, putting the user in one of the crew members' shoes.
Oculus Home Facelift
Oculus Home is set to get a new look sometime in June, and it'll sport Shortcuts and Recent menus on the left plus a friends list section on the right, not to mention that the virtual home seems like it will get renovated.
Oculus Mobile Refreshed Interface
The Oculus mobile app is not getting left out of the updates too, as it'll soon feature a What's New section and an improved library that categorizes content among Installed, Updates and Not Installed tabs this week.
On an interesting note, this development is more or less to commemorate the milestone that Oculus just hit, reaching the 1 million Gear VR user mark within about six months' time.
"Over 1 million people used Gear VR last month to experience the incredible collection of immersive games, videos and experiences available on the Oculus platform," Oculus says.
With this expansion to the Gear VR ecosystem, it seems more than likely that Facebook and Oculus will gather up the next million in due time.
Feel free to drop by our comments section below and tells us what you think of these new features and VR content that Oculus brought to the table.
