Facebook has launched a new virtual-reality remote work app that allows professionals to generate a virtual meeting space. The app has been named Horizon Workrooms and it gives Oculus Quest 2 headsets owners an opportunity to hold meetings in virtual office space. The app is still in beta version and therefore it is likely to have some issues. But the timing of the launch couldn’t be much appropriate as several companies are in the favour of work from home as the number of coronavirus cases is on the rise. This is a step towards making futuristic ‘metaverse’ a reality. Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has been talking about in the recent past.
The social media giant has invested a huge amount of money in this. They have even developed hardware like Oculus VR headsets. Oculus works with the help of wristband technologies and AR glasses. The company even purchased VR gaming studios. According to Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, vice president of Facebook’s Reality Labs group, said that Horizon Workrooms clearly indicates how the company ‘envisions elements of the metaverse.’ “This is just a step in that direction and it will certainly be the way in which most of the companies would be working in the future,” Bosworth said.
Metaverse is a term that was first used in the dystopian novel “Snow Crash” in the year 1992. Facebook CEO has described it as an ‘embodied internet.’ This term has been used by top bosses of several tech companies including Satya Nadella of Microsoft. During the first full VR news briefing, Facebook said that Horizon Workrooms will help professionals create new versions of themselves which will be able to participate in virtual reality conferences. They will be even able to collaborate on any topic while continuing to work on their computer keyboard. The app is free for those who have Quest 2 headsets, which cost around USD 300. By using the app, up to 16 people can join a virtual reality meeting. Also, it will allow a total of 50 participants in video conferencing. Facebook emphasized that it would not use any information about Workrooms to target ads on its platform.
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