Find your typical Facebook photos to be too drab, or even boring? Get ready.

The pictures are alive! (sort of)

In an effort to keep ahead of the trends and force a bit of relevancy amongst youthful users, Facebook is rolling out 3D photos to the platform.

What happens when you cross 3D with a 2D image? Facebook has the answer and they’re rolling out a new 3D photo option that will add depth to otherwise static images.

The new feature can be viewed by users on desktop, the Oculus Go, or browsing with Firefox on the Oculus Rift. All users need do is tap portrait mode in the News Feed, drag the image or tilt their head (with VR) to view the added depth.

What does this mean?

At the moment it’s a lovely gimmick that all users can play with, and adds a bit of pep to what might have become predictable News Feeds. But the this could be a stepping stone.

The next holy grail is 360 degree and fully 3D photos which could be the advent of entirely new mind-bending formats. Photos, in theory, could become immersive scenes for viewers to explore.

The process uses deep-dive AI learning to stich together multiple photos, extrapolating on what isn’t in frame and generating layers that create the illusion of depth. Whether or not the new format takes off, there’s some fun to be had.

What do you think about 3D photos? Is this a feature that has demand or could it just be a new gimmick? Let us know your thoughts in our comment section.