First Google, then Uber, now Facebook. Pittsburgh’s “Silicon Alley” cred is growing stronger with the world’s biggest social media network being added to the list of companies located here. Oculus spokeswoman Tera Randall confirmed that the company is “building a small team in Pittsburgh that will focus on virtual reality research.”
Based on the listings on Facebook’s jobs page, the company is seeking software engineers for the Pittsburgh office: “Our mission is to keep advancing the VR platform; the work you do here will lay the foundation for VR experiences for years to come.”
Multiple reports indicate the company is leasing 20,000 square feet of space at the new seven-story Schenley Place building beginning in the spring.
The creator of the cutting-edge virtual reality headset, Oculus has far-reaching implications for the virtual reality market, allowing users to feel like they’re immersed in a video game, a virtual reality movie or just connecting with other people in a VR environment.
Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014 for $2 billion. Late last year, Oculus started taking preorders for its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, which is going for $599.
Oculus is following the lead of other San Francisco-based companies drawn by the top-notch tech talent in Pittsburgh. Ride-sharing company Uber announced last year that it was partnering with Carnegie Mellon University on an Advanced Technologies Center in Lawrenceville, with a goal of developing driverless cars. And Google has had a Pittsburgh office since 2006, moving to its current home in Bakery Square in 2010.
