As part of the announcement, a number of companies have launched 360-degree videos, including a 360 experience from Star Wars: The Force Awakens that was made exclusively for Facebook, which you can view here. 360 degree videos basically mean that users can “watch” a video in any direction, along with the perspective that it was initially shot in.
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Facebook users can experience 360-degree videos on Internet browsers using your typical notebook or desktop computer, and via mobile devices like iPhones and Android smartphones.
“It’s the kind of thing that you run over to show someone else the moment you first see it”, wrote Chris Cox, Facebook’s chief product officer, in a post about the topic on Wednesday.
Facebook’s top product executive, Chris Cox, mentioned on his Facebook page that “360 Videos” is a “really cool experience”, and it takes viewers “somewhere else”, adding that very soon it will be possible for users to upload 360 Videos.
The move makes sense for the social network, particularly because it owns virtual reality headset and content maker Oculus VR, for which 360-degree video is a pillar.
Facebook isn’t alone in wanting to showcase 360 degree videos on the web. If you’re using a non-touch screen device, you simply need to drag around the video with your cursor until you find the view you’re looking for. Some of the content creators that immediately signed up are Discovery, GoPro (which sells spherical rigs), Saturday Night Live, Vice, Disney, and LeBron James & Uninterrupted.
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Earlier this year, YouTube opened up its service to 360-degree interactive videos that you can “look around” in while watching, whether by swiping with your finger or by swinging your phone around in space. The video features Rey’s speeder jetting through Jakku, the new desert planet from the upcoming movie. “We plan to roll this out for iOS in the coming months”, the company said.
