It could just be a normal fall D.C. weekend for you — grab a beer, walk around the National Mall, blah, blah, blah. Or it could be one filled with adventure — floating through outer space, playing basketball with LeBron James and dancing with fire performers at Union Market.
Now through Saturday, Facebook's Virtual Reality Roadshow is pitching a tent — or more like a storefront — outside of Union Market to showcase its Oculus technology. Participants can stop by the storefront anytime before Saturday's closing to test drive Samsung's Gear VR, which is powered by Oculus. Think of Gear VR like Google Cardboard, but solely compatible with Samsung Galaxy. Download the Oculus app, snap your phone into the Gear VR and enjoy the ride.
Since its mid-October kickoff in Dallas, the Facebook tour has been making its way through city centers, college campuses, festivals and more. Now, it's D.C.'s turn. The video people will experience at the event takes them through a wide-range of experiences, from firewalking to a dinnertime with a family to a walk with your local neighborhood dinosaurs. (Yes, actual dinosaurs! What a world!)
Facebook spokesperson Alan Cooper told DC Inno that most of the people who have stopped in have been first-time virtual reality users.
"We wanted to make the demos accessible in places where diverse crowds are already enjoying time with their family and friends, and Union Market's been a great location for us," he said.
Cooper said that although Oculus might be a big name in the technology world, not many people outside of this world know much about Oculus, which is exactly why they're on tour.
"It's still very early in the development of the industry — this is the first year of truly consumer VR — and our goal with this Facebook tour is to bring a first-time VR experience to those who haven't experienced the technology yet," he said.
The pop-up shop is open from 11 AM-7 PM on Thursday and Friday and from 10 AM-8 PM on Saturday.
Experience the tour video for yourself:
