Last week, Facebook sent out invitations to VR users to participate in a close alpha for Facebook Horizon. This is a social VR-exclusive app that was first launched back at OC6 in September of 2019. This will allow users to participate in the creation of customizable worlds, expressive avatars, and custom VR experiences.
The announcement back in 2019 promised a 2020 release and a closed beta in early 2020. If they still want to hit that ‘early’ tagline, they will need this beta to be out within the next month or so. A screenshot on Reddit showed that Facebook was sending out invitations for the alpha stages of the development of this social platform.
On Reddit we also saw the email hat was sent to the users. The cut off period for the acceptance was last Friday, and it seemed it would be starting this month, spanning over a month itself. They have a clear roadmap to when this should release, so 2020 is seeming more realistic as news continues to break.
The email also states that users will be required to sign an NDA. It isn’t released what will be in it, but the alpha version of Horizon “is an early form and [Facebook] will keep making product improvements over the course of the month.” They want some privacy as they work on keeping this product tight and new for anyone that wasn’t invited to the alpha program.
In a small statement from Facebook regarding the launch of the alpha, they said the the company was “conducting some early tests for Horizon, with more tests on the… horizon.”
It isn’t sure what this means for the beta, but hopefully it is sooner rather than later. This social platform is going to be launching on both the Oculus Quest and the Oculus Rift S later this year. If Facebook is good at anything, its creating a social platform that captivates and pulls in millions. Although its not a wide opinion, this could very well shape up to be the best VR app. Facebook and Instagram have found their way to being the best, and we have high hopes for Horizon as well. For more VR news and community updates, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
