Facebook Inc. is doubling down on its efforts to take virtual reality mainstream with a report claiming that the company is looking to set up VR centers and arcades in malls and movie theaters.

Variety claimed Facebook’s Oculus VR division is hiring for its new push into what is described a “location-based VR” and quotes a job listing for “Producer – location based entertainment VR.”

The job listing has the person being tasked to “build & curate portfolio of location based experiences in collaboration with LBE (Location Based Experience) stakeholders at Oculus.” In addition, the role includes the need to “source content from potential LBE partners,” “develop relationships with best-in-class LBE partners and developers,” “negotiate developer deals” and more.

The same report noted that Colum Slevin, Oculus’ head of experiences, said at a recent conference that “we love the idea of an audience being able to go to a destination, and have an experience, and love that experience and continue that adventure at home.”

Those of a particular age will recall that so-called location-based VR experiences are not new. The first and now mostly forgotten wave of virtual reality devices saw companies offering VR games in gaming arcades in the 1990s.

Facebook’s biggest challenge with its Oculus division isn’t simply producing a decent product but attempting to make VR headsets mainstream. VR, despite the hype, is a niche product with a small market. Figures published in September showed that sales of VR headsets are plummeting, with only 409,000 headsets sold in the second quarter.

New products, such as the Oculus Quest, a midrange VR headset that doesn’t require tethering to a computer, a positively received by the tech press but likewise barely registers with the public at large.

“A new focus on location-based experiences could be explained by the lagging sales of VR headsets,” Variety noted. “Many consumers have thus far avoided high-end VR systems because of costs and complexity associated with the technology. VR arcades and location-based VR centers, on the other hand, have a much lower barrier of entry, and have been a way for many consumers to get a first glimpse of the technology.”

Photo: sergesegal/Flickr