Josh Hendrickson
Getting together to watch a favorite show or movie is a difficult prospect with an ongoing global pandemic. That’s why Plex, Movies Anywhere, Hulu, and others have put a solution for virtual watch parties. And now Facebook is joining the viewing revolution, dubbing its take Watch Together.
At launch, up to 8 people can use Watch Together simultaneously in Messenger, and if you jump to a Messenger Room you can set up a group of 50. Watch Together leans on Facebook Watch; you can enjoy Facebook’s original programs, livestreams, user uploads, creator content, and eventually, music videos.
Unlike some other takes on the subject, Facebook’s Watch Together comes with built-in video chat, so you can see and hear each other while your content plays. Everything should sync together, depending on your network speeds, to keep your reactions relatively timed together.
You have to go to Messenger or a Messenger Room, not the Facebook Watch section, to get started. You’ll then choose the Watch Together option (rolling out soon), and choose something to watch. Since everyone should be in the chat before the show starts, you get to choose together.
Facebook says the feature is free to use, and rolling out to Android and iOS later this week.
Source: Facebook
