Fresh off of the news that the Oculus Rift is getting a $50 price cut, the headsets first platform update arrives today. It packs some long-requested features.
Chief among them is Facebook Livestreaming. Oculus’ mobile VR headsets, Gear VR and Go, have been able to do this for a while. As of today, though, a ‘Livestream to Facebook’ button will appear on your Dash Menu. Provided your Facebook account is linked up, you can press it to instantly start streaming from Home or inside VR apps. Developers will be able to opt out of livestreaming so don’t expect everything to work out of the box.
Next up is Public Homes. This is a long-anticipated addition that allows others beyond your friend list to visit the spaces you design in Oculus Home. The feature’s in beta for now but by setting your home to ‘Public’ you’ll allow others to invite themselves in. And, of course, you can go in search of other homes by finding the ‘Places’ tab. Doing so will come up with a roster of available environments.
Oculus assures that this feature will come with tools to keep you safe. “As host, you have full control over the guest list: you can accept or decline any request to see your place, and you can disable the “Public” option at any time,” the company notes on its announcement blog. “You can also report abusive behavior, mute visitors, and more, from inside the Rift headset.”
And, as we said up to, you’ll soon be able to get a Rift for $350.
