At CES 2017 it was announced that users with NVIDIA’s Geforce Experience software will be able to stream gameplay of whatever they’re playing, including VR content, to Facebook Live. An update now available for the software enables the feature, including the ability to share 360 degree screenshots.
GeForce Experience—software unique to Nvidia’s GPUs which keeps drivers updated and supports video capture—has previously supported livestreaming via Twitch and YouTube, but the growth of Facebook’s ‘Live’ livestreaming functionality has made it a desirable place to share gameplay with friends. Thanks to a new GeForce Experience update, users can now connect their Facebook account and stream live gameplay, including gameplay from VR content, directly to the massive social media platform.
For now there’s no direct way to interact with the streaming audience while in VR because you can’t see live comments or reactions, but we’re hoping to see Nvidia expand their focus on the VR livestreaming over time.
The update also allows users to share 360 degree screenshots taken with Nvidia’s ‘Ansel’ software to Facebook, which can be viewed as a pannable photosphere right in the timeline or in VR for those with Samsung’s Gear VR headset.
Support for Facebook Live and game streaming in general seems to be growing strongly over time. According to Nvidia, there are “600 million video game viewers”, so it’s with good reason that they want to support as many popular platforms as possible, as they already do with Twitch and Youtube. Previously for VR gameplay, Oculus announced that they’d bring Facebook Live streaming for Gear VR, but no word for their desktop platform. Now even if they don’t do it, Facebook Live users could use Geforce Experience, assuming they have an Nvidia graphics card.
