Horizon Workrooms has entered open beta on Facebook, with the goal of taking virtual meetings to the next level.
Horizon Workrooms enables people to collaborate in groups remotely using the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset. According to Facebook, workrooms are a mixed reality experience in which you can bring your physical desk and compatible tracked keyboard into the virtual room, where you can see them sitting on the virtual meeting table in front of you.
When combined with the new Oculus Remote Desktop companion app for Mac and Windows, you’ll be able to access your entire computer from VR with a single click. Users can also take notes during virtual meetings, bring files into VR, and even share their screens with colleagues if they wish.
Facebook is also introducing Oculus Avatars and spatial audio technology. Oculus Avatars, which were released earlier this year, will receive new customizations. Conversations will also sound more realistic thanks to new spatial technology with higher quality and lower latency, allowing you to hear people based on where they are seated, just like in an actual room.
There are numerous features available, such as infinite whiteboard space so that users can sketch things out in real-time and customizable rooms to suit each user’s needs, such as custom seating and changing room sizes. You can also join a meeting via video call, which will appear on a video screen in the virtual meeting room, just like an actual conference room. Each room can accommodate up to 16 people in VR simultaneously and a total of 50 people on a call, including video participants.
Every user has access to tools for taking notes, scheduling meetings, sending invitations, and integration with Outlook and Google Calendar.
Source: Facebook