Live video streams on Twitter are about to get a lot more interactive.
The company on Wednesday launched live 360-degree video streams on its Periscope service. Check out the first live 360 broadcast below; while viewing it, you can tilt your phone in different directions, swipe on the screen, or use your mouse to look around in 360 degrees and explore the scene from any angle.
360 Sunset in Florida. First ever #Periscope360 with @Brandee_Anthony https://t.co/AZWbnnT15S
— Alex Pettitt (@Alexpettitt) December 28, 2016
"See what's unfolding behind, above, or below the broadcaster's view for an immersive experience," Twitter's Director of AR and VR Alessandro Sabatelli wrote in a blog post.
For now, live 360 broadcast privileges are limited to "well-known personalities," Sabatelli said, but everyone on Twitter and Periscope will be able watch these streams. Broadcasts taking advantage of this new format will be marked with a LIVE 360 badge.
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In a blog post, the Periscope team said it's currently testing the feature with "a small group of partners" and plans to roll it out more broadly in "the coming weeks." Interested individuals can apply to join the waitlist here.
"With 360 video on Periscope, you can experience moments with the broadcaster and take a look around — it's one step closer to actually being there," the team wrote. It sounds like the team has some pretty cool broadcasts lined up for this testing period: "You'll be able to join live 360 videos on Periscope and Twitter from some incredible broadcasters — getting front-row access at exclusive events, traveling to places across the globe, and getting up close with well-known personalities," they wrote.
With this new feature, Twitter is following in the footsteps of Facebook, which launched live 360 video streams earlier this month. At this point, the feature is also pretty limited on Facebook, however. The social network said it should be available for all Pages and Profiles next year.