AltspaceVR is a social VR platform that was founded in 2013 by Eric Romo and launched its initial product in May 2015. In 2017 it was acquired by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

and is now part of the Mixed Reality division (alongside notable products like

HoloLens Microsoft HoloLens is an augmented reality (AR)/ mixed reality (MR) headset developed and manufactured by Microsoft. HoloLens runs the Windows Mixed Reality platform under the Windows 10 operating system. Some of the positional tracking techn ...

and

HoloLens 2 Microsoft HoloLens 2 is an augmented reality (AR) headset developed and manufactured by Microsoft. It is the successor to the original Microsoft HoloLens. The first variant of the device, The HoloLens 2 enterprise edition, debuted on February 24 ...

) within the Cloud and AI group. Some elements of the platform appear in

Microsoft Mesh Microsoft Mesh is a collaboration and communications platform developed by Microsoft. Engadget described it as "the company's ambitious new attempt at unifying holographic virtual collaboration across multiple devices, be they VR headsets, AR (l ...

. The platform largely consists of user-generated spaces called "worlds", which can be visited by other users. Live virtual events are frequently held. In addition to these events, AltspaceVR is a social platform where individuals can gather, talk, collaborate, and be co-present in small to large groups. The platform is regularly home to a wide variety of events from VR church and LGBTQI+ meetups to large business conferences and magic shows.

Worlds

AltspaceVR is organised in spaces called "worlds", which can be found and accessed via a floating menu or via in-world "teleporters". Some large worlds, such as the "Campfire", are built and maintained by official developers as places for users to meet and interact. As of May 2022, AltVR removed all developer-maintained worlds. Altspace's internal menus include a list of "featured" user-defined worlds and a real-time list of the most "popular" worlds, arranged by the number of users currently visiting each world. Other menus list current and planned "events", which take place inside official or user-generated worlds.

Events

Notable events taking place within AltspaceVR include: * a virtual fashion show for 2020 Paris Fashion week * a red carpet premiere of Baba Yaga with celebrities

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

and

Daisy Ridley Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy: ''The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last Jedi'' (2017), and ''The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019) ...

was held in a VR world produced by Big Rock Creative. * In 2020 AltspaceVR was home to BRCvr, a recognized universe of the

Burning Man Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred ...

multiverse. * In 2021 AltspaceVR was home to Thursday Night Club Premier and Cute Tech's Mood Mondays a nightclub with a live DJ Blade Relic. * In 2022 AltspaceVR hosted th
book launch of new sci-fi short stories book
with introduction by

Douglas Rushkoff Douglas Mark Rushkoff (born February 18, 1961) is an American media theorist, writer, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist, and documentarian. He is best known for his association with the early cyberpunk culture and his advocacy of open sourc ...

and "The Summoned" story by

Eva Pascoe Eva Pascoe (born 1964) is a Polish-born internet entrepreneur and consultant residing in London who co-founded Britain's first internet cafe, Cyberia. She has previously written for ''The Independent'' newspaper and is a commentator on techno ...

with live feed from authors by Zoom int
Altspace event venue

Supported hardware

AltspaceVR is available on many VR headsets including: *

HTC Vive VIVE, sometimes referred to as HTC Vive, is a virtual reality brand of HTC Corporation. It consists of hardware like its titular virtual reality headsets and accessories, virtual reality software and services, and initiatives that promote appl ...

* Oculus Rift/Rift-S * Oculus Quest/Quest 2 *

Windows Mixed Reality Windows Mixed Reality is a platform introduced as part of the Windows 10 and 11 operating system, which provides augmented reality and virtual reality experiences with compatible head-mounted displays. Its flagship device, Microsoft HoloLens, wa ...

devices. The platform is also available as a 2D application for Apple and Windows PCs.

Discontinued hardware

An Android app that provided 2D access to AltspaceVR was discontinued in 2019. Altspace stopped supporting the Google Daydream in 2019. Support for Oculus' Gear and Go headsets was discontinued the following year.

References

External links