Not satisfied with the amount of ads that abound in its other products, Facebook also wants to show them in its virtual reality glasses . The social network announced that it will begin testing with ads in games and applications, through its Oculus Quest devices.
According to the company, it is a “small test” that aims to check the viability of this possible monetization method. Apparently, Facebook welcomes the possibility of displaying ads on its Oculus Quest, offering a benefit to its users in return. According to Axios, the incorporation of advertising would lower the retail price of virtual reality devices and would generate more attractiveness for content creators.
In principle, Facebook ads on its virtual reality platform will appear in Blaston, a video game launched by Resolution Games in October 2020. Other developers working with the social network on this project will start showing the advertising content in the coming weeks.
“We want to help developers to generate revenue, and people to find great experiences at better prices ; this is how we will create a healthy and self-sufficient platform for all,” published Andrew Bosworth, vice president of the laboratory virtual reality service on Facebook, on his Twitter account.
Virtual reality is no exception to Facebook's advertising business
It is true that the positioning of products through ads is not something 100% new in virtual reality platforms. However, previous initiatives did not have the infrastructure and power that Facebook has today.
According to the company, the ads that will be displayed on the Oculus Quest will be based on its advertising principles and will be made with users first. The social network promises to incorporate controls to hide specific advertising or stop seeing the one that comes from a specific advertiser.
Regarding privacy, Facebook promises not to use “locally processed and stored” information in its virtual reality glasses to target ads. Nor would it rely on conversations in Messenger or similar apps, or on voice commands or the audio that the microphone picks up.
