Facebook releases Spaces for HTC Vive
Oculus parent officially supports rival VR hardware with social chat app
Oculus may still be touchy about having the games it funds show up on competing VR headsets, but parent company Facebook doesn't seem to share that concern. The company today launched an HTC Vive version of its social VR chat app Spaces.
Perhaps best known as the app in which Mark Zuckerberg cheerfully high-fived an employee against the backdrop of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, Spaces launched in beta in July for the Oculus Rift. With the Vive version available, users of either headset can jump into virtual worlds with cartoon avatars to make video calls, play around with a 3D art tool, or broadcast their session on Facebook.
Despite the cross-headset release, there are some competitive lines Facebook is apparently still unwilling to cross. While Spaces is now available for Vive, Facebook is offering that version directly from the app's own site, rather than through the usual Vive storefronts like Viveport or Steam.