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Facebook virtual reality guru "embarrassed" by lack of social experiences for users during global pandemic

John Carmack, who is the subsidiary's consulting chief technology officer , said in a talk during the Facebook Connect developer conference yesterday that the lockdowns enforced by global novel coronavirus outbreaks were a missed opportunity.

In a series of frank comments he listed the names of abandoned projects, saying they could have helped VR users connect with friends and family during the crisis.

Facebook's Horizon, a social experience where users can play games or chat inside a virtual world, is currently available as an invite-only beta, not open to everyone.

Facebook confirmed in August this year that it was testing the addition of social features to Venues, an app designed to let users watch live events using the headset.

According to Carmack, there was little appetite inside the company, which now operates under the banner Facebook Reality Labs , to re-launch the prior projects.

The VR division inside the Mark Zuckerberg-led social platform officially announced the Oculus Quest 2 Wednesday, pitched as a more accessible option compared to headsets that require a powerful PC to use.

Carmack, who announced he was stepping down as Oculus CTO last November, did not hold back about internal issues the Oculus development team had faced.

Original article
Author: Newsweek

Newsweek provides in-depth analysis, news and opinion about international issues, technology, business, culture and politics.

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