AltspaceVR
| Company type | Private (before acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Virtual reality, Social networking |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Eric Romo |
| Fate | Ceased operations on March 10, 2023 |
| Successor | Microsoft Mesh (technology integration) |
| Products | Social virtual reality environment |
| Parent | Microsoft (from 2017) |
AltspaceVR was a social Virtual reality (VR) environment created by Eric Romo in 2013 and officially launched in May 2015. In 2017, Microsoft acquired the platform, incorporating it into their Mixed Reality division within the Cloud and AI organization, alongside products such as HoloLens and HoloLens 2. Technologies from AltspaceVR have been integrated into Microsoft Mesh.
The service offered user-designed "worlds" that enabled people to meet, collaborate, and engage in groups of varying sizes. It hosted a wide range of live virtual gatherings, including virtual churches, LGBTQI+ community meetups, corporate conferences, and entertainment events.
In January 2023, Microsoft declared that AltspaceVR would cease operations on March 10, 2023.
Worlds
AltspaceVR's environments were structured as "worlds," which users could enter through a floating menu or via in-world "teleporters." Official teams developed and managed large-scale worlds like the "Campfire," serving as central social spaces. By May 2022, all worlds maintained by developers were removed from the platform.
The internal interface included menus listing "featured" user-created worlds along with live rankings based on current user participation. Additional menus showcased ongoing and upcoming "events" hosted within both official and community-created worlds.
In 2020, AltspaceVR hosted BRCvr, a virtual rendition of the Burning Man festival.
Supported hardware
AltspaceVR was compatible with various VR headsets, such as:
- SteamVR compatible devices (HTC Vive, Valve Index, among others)
- Oculus Rift/Rift-S through the Oculus Store
- Oculus Quest/Quest 2 available as a standalone app or via Oculus Link
- Windows Mixed Reality headsets
- Samsung Gear VR (support ended mid-2020)
- Oculus Go (support discontinued in 2020)
- Google Daydream (support ceased in 2019)
Additionally, the platform was accessible via desktop applications for both Mac and Windows. A non-VR Android app was supported until 2019.
See also
- Horizon Worlds
- Resonite – A social VR title featuring built-in creation tools