Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many companies have embraced remote and hybrid work arrangements to become more resistant to future disruptive events. The same companies are interested in ways of making remote teams more connected and productive.
Facebook believes that its new VR meeting app, called Horizon Workrooms, is how the future of remote collaboration looks like. The app has just launched as an open beta, and it’s available for free on Oculus Quest 2 in all countries where Quest 2 is supported.
Getting started is easy:
- Sign up to create a new Workrooms team at workrooms.com.
- Invite your colleagues.
- Download and install Horizon Workrooms from the Oculus Store on your Quest 2.
In its current state, Horizon Workrooms basically creates a virtual meeting space where participants can collaborate using the same digital tools they would use during a traditional meeting.
By installing the new Oculus Remote Desktop companion app for Mac and Windows, you gain the ability to bring your desktop into VR, along with your keyboard (although only a few keyboards are supported at the moment).
Every meeting room in Horizon Workrooms features infinite whiteboard space where meeting participants can share their ideas in real time, using the Quest 2 controller to write, jot, and draw as if holding a pen. When the meeting is over, the content of the whiteboard space can be exported and easily shared with employees who were not able to attend.
Non-VR users can be invited to join as well, but they are limited to video chat only. Up to 16 VR users and 36 video chat users can participate in a virtual meeting at the same time using Horizon Workrooms—that’s up to 50 people per workroom.
