Xiaomi's Barra to lead Facebook's virtual reality efforts

San Francisco

FACEBOOK Inc hired Hugo Barra to lead its virtual reality (VR) efforts just days after he quit Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp.

Mr Barra, who led Xiaomi's international expansion, will now take on a different challenge as vice-president of virtual reality. He will need to navigate the competitive and young market, where Facebook's Oculus Rift and Gear products have drawn interest but not dominance.