Social networking giant Facebook has introduced 360-degree videos that enables users to view the footage from any angle.
The videos are created using a special set of cameras that record all 360 degrees of a scene simultaneously.
By using a cursor on a desktop browser or dragging a finger on a mobile display, users can can move around and explore the video from different angles.
Facebook’s engineering director for Video, Maher Saba, explained in a blog post:
“Our goal at Facebook is to connect you with the people and things that matter, every single day. Over time, we’ve seen that people enjoy more immersive content in their News Feeds. This is one reason video has been so successful on Facebook, and we’re excited to take it a step further with 360 video”.
So far, a small number of brands have posted 360-degree videos including an exclusive trailer from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens film.
While it’s only big brands that currently have the technology to produce these videos, Facebook hopes that in future users will be able to create their own 360 footage.
For those using Facebook on the web or on Android devices, they can expect to see the 360 videos popping up in their news feed very soon, while iPhone users will have to wait a few more months for the update.
Facebook’s Maher Saba commented:
“It’s early days, but we’re excited about the possibilities for 360 video and hope it helps people explore the world in new, immersive ways”.
This article was originally posted on Yahoo News