Unlike a gaming console or a PC, virtual reality glasses don't lend themselves to inviting friends over to sit on your couch or huddle around your desk and watch how awesome you are at, say, World of Warcraft. Soon, though, you'll be able to do the next best thing: stream live gameplay from a Samsung Gear VR directly to Facebook.
That capability is thanks to Oculus, the Facebook-owned VR startup that runs the Gear VR's content app. Live streaming of games is currently available only outside the US, but Oculus announced on Friday that all Gear VR-compatible Samsung phones with the latest version of Android will get the capability "in the coming weeks."
When it arrives, you'll be able to select the "Livestream to Facebook" button from the Oculus universal menu when you're wearing the Gear VR, and your friends will see your gameplay much like they would any other live video on Facebook.
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The new live-streaming feature is part of Oculus's drive to make the virtual reality experience more social and expand the technology's appeal to non-gamers. To that end, the company is also updating its Rooms app, a virtual hangout space launched last year. The app now has an expanded content library, including music videos from Vimeo and the ability to watch 360-degree videos.
In a blog post, Oculus wrote that it will add more features to Rooms "as we continue to explore what's possible on the platform." Along with the Rooms update comes a new Events content section, which will include everything from multiplayer games and tournaments to tech talks and trivia.
What good is an expanded content selection if you can't easily navigate it, though? Oculus's answer is a new voice recognition feature, which lets you perform voice searches from the Oculus Home screen to navigate games and other apps.