Facebook has managed to connect over a billion users across the globe through its social networking prowess. And now it’s heading to the next medium of networking, via augmented reality.
For this, Facebook-owned Oculus is creating an ecosystem called Horizon which will be available to beta testers from early next year coming to Oculus Quest and the Rift platform. The visuals of Horizon will remind you episode from the series Black Mirror, where people are travelling in virtual reality, which is fairly identical to how you live in the real world, meeting new people.
The Horizon has a town square, where people gather, connect and explore different options like games and other experiences on the platform.
Facebook says that Horizon is a new social experience in VR where one can build their own worlds with easy-to-use tools (no coding skills required).
The Horizon experience then expands to an interconnected world where people can explore new places, play games, build communities, and even create their own new experiences.Oculus blog
Here’s a quick look at what Oculus promises with Facebook Horizon.
The company has said that people have to create their digital avatars, from an array of style and body options which is to their preference. To start with the virtual journey on Horizon, people can become part of games and other products built into the ecosystem by Facebook.
You can even travel across different parts of the virtual city and explore new spaces. But these days every Facebook product is greeted with apprehension and Horizon is no different.
Detailing its approach towards protecting the users, Oculus has said that Horizon will ensure a welcoming environment through new safety tools and human guides—Horizon Locals—to answer questions and provide assistance, if needed.
Oculus is yet to launch in the Indian market, which means people in the country will have to buy them from broad at a premium cost, to enjoy this unique experience, if they really want to.
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