We’ve heard that YouTube has gotten their hands in 360 degree video last March, and now, Facebook wants a piece of the pie as well. Facebook has decided to give 360 degree video a spin in their News Feed.
The announcement was made on September 23rd that they began showing 360 degree video, rolling out the immersive feature with a number of media partners including:
- Star Wars
- Discovery
- GoPro
- Lebron James
- NBC’s Saturday Night Live
- VICE
If you have a camera system that shoots in 360 degree mode, you will be able to upload your video in that format. But at first, the videos are only going to visible on the desktop and Facebook’s Android app. Desktop users can click and pan within videos, while Android users will be able to tap into videos and explore the scene by moving the phones around. If you’re an iOS user, you’re going to have to be patient, as Facebook says that support for Apple devices will be rolling out in the coming months.
Here’s what Facebook director of product Chris Cox had to say about this unique way of interacting with content:
“On the phone especially, slowly turning around and tilting your device up and down to watch a scene as it’s playing is a really cool experience that takes you somewhere else,” Cox wrote in a Facebook post. “It’s the kind of thing that you run over to show someone else the moment you first see it.”
Here’s a link to the video on Facebook that shows the demo of what it would look like on your phone.: https://www.facebook.com/chris.cox/videos/10101898475581513/
Facebook worked with engineers in its Oculus division to bring this feature to the main Facebook platform.
In a statement in the Verge, Will Cathcart, a directer of product management said that this is the next logical step for Facebook.
“Over time we’ve seen the modes of sharing shift to become more mobile, and more immersive. Here what we’ve done is look at all the really cool 360-degree video content people are creating and think through, what’s the right way to bring that experience to News Feed.”