AltSpaceVR, one of the pioneering social platforms in virtual reality (VR), has today announced that the applications will soon cease operations. What this means for the development studio behind the project, based in Redwood City, California, is not yet known.
Having made its debut in 2014, AltSpaceVR will be familiar to most of the early adopters of modern VR. Compatible with every iteration of the Oculus Rift and later launching editions for Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR and HTC Vive, as well as a 2D mode for standard monitors, AltSpaceVR has long been considered a key asset for social VR spaces.
In recent years competition has grown, however. Programs such as Bigscreen, vTime and Bean VR have been chipping away at the potential audience for AltSpaceVR, and last year’s launch of Facebook Spaces was undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow for the Silicon Valley startup.
Despite a raise of $10.3m USD in 2015, it appears that AltSpaceVR simply isn’t able to bear the wait for mainstream adoption of VR given the constant pressure of the competition, stating in tweet today: “Altspacers, it is with tremendously heavy hearts that we must let you know that we are closing down AltspaceVR very soon.”
VRFocus met with AltSpaceVR on many occasions, including at their Redwood City headquarters. You can see an interview with Bruce Wooden, Head of Experience at AltSpaceVR, in the video below.
via Mint VR