Scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed just got a bit more interactive with the introduction of 360-degree videos that reveal panoramic shots of anything from news coverage, vacation photos to cat videos. Users don't just slide a bar to see the entire picture, though. With VR technology, when you move your phone, tablet or computer, the video will spin right along with you.
This immersive technology is just one of the ways Facebook is integrating virtual reality into its platform. When the social media giant acquired Oculus, many wondered what Mark Zuckerberg had in mind for the technology. Although a 360-degree camera is required for users to upload their own content, publishers like Discovery, GoPro, Saturday Night Live, Star Wars, VICE and Uninterrupted with LeBron James have already promised to deliver some 360-degree VR style video.
According to reports, the 360-degree feature will only be initially available to Android and web users, but Facebook plans to make the videos available for iOS users within the coming months as well.
This is just one of Facebook's plans to make social media more vivid and immersive, according to the company's statement on the technology for the newsfeed.
Although the content will start with official publishers and media outlets sharing professionally-made content, Facebook hopes that even ordinary users will take their content sharing to a whole new level with the 360-degree VR technology.
"In the future, imagine watching 360 videos of a friend's vacation to a small village in France or a festival in Brazil - you'll be able to look around and experience it as if you were there. Along with updates from your friends and family, you will also be able to discover amazing new content on Facebook from media companies, organizations, and individual creators," they shared on their blog.
