• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Elon Musk’s DOGE swiped $329 million in humanitarian funding from Nepal, leaving a Gen Z tech revolution to transform the budding country’s economy

3

Ed Sheeran asked Patriots owner Robert Kraft for $2 million aid donation after Macklemore was dropped from his tour for pro-Palestine comments

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Elon Musk’s DOGE swiped $329 million in humanitarian funding from Nepal, leaving a Gen Z tech revolution to transform the budding country’s economy

3

Ed Sheeran asked Patriots owner Robert Kraft for $2 million aid donation after Macklemore was dropped from his tour for pro-Palestine comments
Tech

Facebook Is Killing Its Virtual Reality Film Studio

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 4, 2017, 8:38 PM ET
Inside The 2016 E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo
An attendee wears the Oculus VR Inc. Rift headset during the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Tuesday, June 14, 2016. E3, a trade show for computer and video games, draws professionals to experience the future of interactive entertainment as well as to see new technologies and never-before-seen products.Photograph by Troy Harvey — Bloomberg via Getty Images
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Facebook is getting out of the virtual reality film business.

The social networking giant said Thursday that its Oculus virtual reality unit would shut down Story Studio, a virtual reality film studio that debuted in 2015 with hires from big entertainment companies like Pixar. The studio’s closure is effective as of Thursday, said an Oculus spokesperson.

With the studio closure, Facebook will no longer make in-house VR shorts and animations, and will instead “support more external production,” Oculus vice president of content Jason Rubin wrote in a blog post.

Facebook created the studio to help jumpstart the nascent VR industry by creating its own VR films and make the technology more appealing beyond video gamers. Despite initial hype, virtual reality has failed to gain a big following, largely because of the expensive headsets required to watch the films and a lack of compelling content.

Sales of VR headsets like Facebook’s Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, both of which went on sale a year ago, are slower than expected, analyst have said.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Rubin said that Facebook is still “absolutely committed to growing the VR film and creative content ecosystem” and will dedicate $50 million from a recent $250 million VR investment to fund the production of non-gaming VR media.

“This money will go directly to artists to help jumpstart the most innovative and groundbreaking VR ideas,” Rubin said.

For more about technology and finance, watch:

Among the VR films produced by Story Studio was the Emmy-award winning animated short Henry and Dear Angelica, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

Fortune contacted Facebook and will update this story if it responds.

Update: May 4, 7:00 PM PST

An Oculus spokesperson wrote in an email that Story Studio’s 50 employees “will reportedly have the option of either leaving the company to pursue new opportunities in the creative community, or applying for new jobs within Facebook.”

Oculus declined to comment on whether any of the films created by Oculus Studios will be released on other VR platforms now that the studio is closed.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Tech


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.