Facebook wants to improve the process of joining virtual reality experiences in its Quest headset.
At the company's Connect conference on Oct. 28, the social media giant announced that Quest users would be able to make and take audio calls through Facebook Messenger.
The new feature will be available before the year ends, according to Facebook.
Facebook Messenger on Oculus
The Oculus Quest has struggled with its interfaces over the past few years, a surprising shortcoming for a device that is made by a company known for its technology, according to TechCrunch.
The new mandate released in 2020 is that users need to sign in to the platform with their Facebook IDs, and it created some PR issues for the company. However, it has enabled them to remove some redundancies in their social workflows.
Users will be able to send messages and make calls while they have the headset on. They can also request other users to join groups through the integration inside the headset.
Earlier this year, Facebook announced that the Oculus Quest headsets will support Messanger and will allow users to chat while in the VR space.
However, audio calls will help users organize virtual reality meetups efficiently and help them stay away from typing in VR, which is a rough experience.
Facebook Pushing Oculus as a Productivity Device
Facebook wants to make the Oculus Quest headset a productivity device for a new generation of users, which is why the company is adding as many apps as it can.
Facebook also announced that they plan to bring 2D apps into the Oculus Store, according to The Verge.
The new apps are based on the Progressive Web App or PWA industry standard. It will allow users to access apps that they would have previously needed to check on their phone and take their headset off.
A couple of 2D apps are available in the Oculus Store, including Facebook, Smartsheet, Instagram, and Spike. Other apps that are on the way include MURAL, Dropbox, Monday.com, My5, Pluto TV, and Slack.
While the Oculus Store has seen native VR support from a couple of app developers, maintaining a dedicated virtual reality app is difficult on several fronts. This is why apps from Netflix and Hulu are rarely updated.
The inclusion of 2D apps is part of a broader effort to bring the Quest headset into the workplace.
Earlier this year, the company stated that an app called Horizon Workrooms would allow workers to bring their desktops into VR and communicate with others through a shared VR space.
DM With Facebook Messenger on Oculus
In March, Facebook Messenger was added to Oculus Quest 2 and Quest. This allows users to direct message other users, without removing their headsets.
The social media giant said that the Messenger support for the pair of all-in-one VR headsets would allow non-Quest users to message those with a Quest or Quest 2, according to Tom's Guide.
Using Messenger in VR is not as difficult as it sounds. In order to chat with users, you can write in VR, use pre-written conversation starters, or even use the voice-to-text feature.
Related Article: Facebook Halts the Production of 'Oculus Quest 2' Due to Skin Irritation Complaints
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
