AltspaceVR is a virtual events platform originally founded in 2013 and later acquired by Microsoft in 2017. The company offers a mixed reality environment where users from around the world can assemble to attend meetings, watch stand-up comedy, participate in yoga lessons, or have any kind of shared experience. Microsoft picked up the platform in order to leverage its powerful immersive technology architecture and has leveraged it for the new Mesh offering.
Between 2013 and 2017, AltspaceVR has held a total of three funding rounds, raising $15.7 million in investments. Recently (in February 2021), AltspaceVR has announced an official integration with the larger Microsoft ecosystem, currently in its Early Access phase. The integration will allow users of Minecraft, Xbox Live or Office 365 to consolidate their login, thereby making the AltspaceVR experience more secure. This comes on the heels of a massive summer update last year, where AltspaceVR introduced a slew of customisation capabilities that give users more control over their avatars and facial expressions.
As the social VR market heats up, how does the Microsoft-owned AltspaceVR stack up? Let’s find out.
What Are the Key Features of AltspaceVR?
AltspaceVR gives you the opportunity to have shared VR experiences, whether it is in your personal or professional life. You could either attend public events scheduled by others, or you could host your own, opening it to the entire online community or by keeping it private.
Public event calendar
Just like events on Facebook or LinkedIn, AltspaceVR will have scores of events on its calendar at any given time. This ranges from spiritual meetups like a church service or group meditation, to learning events like sessions on cryptocurrency, general science, creating writing, business networking, etc. on the personal front, there are stand-up comedy events, happy hours sessions, live music, karaoke, and more – all in VR.
Content channels
AltspaceVR makes it possible to follow specific channels as per your area of interest. Content topics are as diverse as humanism, diversity & inclusion, and spirituality on the one hand, and stand-up comedy, music festivals, and improv on the other. Just as in YouTube, you would be notified whenever a channel goes live, and be alerted to join in.
VR worlds
AltspaceVR comes with a pre-built set of VR environments, called worlds. These cover common public areas like streets and rooftops, as well as more fantastical locations like an enchanted meadow, or a mythical library. Event hosts on AltspaceVR can choose from these worlds when planning a gathering.
Microsoft Mesh compatibility
The enterprise edition of AltspaceVR is built on Microsoft Mesh, which means that you will soon be able to gain from 3D photorealistic presence and spatial multiplayer experiences. This makes AltspaceVR an excellent app for collaboration, corporate events, and employee engagement gatherings.
What Are the Benefits of Using AltspaceVR?
AltspaceVR is among the most reliable social VR platforms out there, given that it is powered by Microsoft. What’s more, it is entirely free for use if you stick to the consumer edition, with Microsoft driving monetisation primarily through hardware and soon via Mesh.
What Are the System Specs Needed?
Apart from all major headsets, including Oculus Rift, Oculus quest, Vive, and Windows MR, AltspaceVR can run in 2D, as long as you have Intel i3-6100 / AMD FX4350 or greater, 8GB+ RAM, and Windows 8 or newer.
