Social VR for Every Web Browser

I didn't get to actually attend much of VR 2020 (I was mostly running around behind the scenes), but it was great to catch up with colleagues, and hear and read about their experiences.  

I only got to chat briefly with Michela Ledwidge, but just read the thoughtful post ("Social VR for Every Web Browser") she wrote about her experiences at the conference, and her broader reflections on the value and importance of web-based XR.   Definitely worth a read!

The announcement that the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR) would be held soley in VR made me sit up and realise it was high time I revisited WebVR. This would be an historic event - not the first conference ever in VR - but certainly the largest. I registered as a volunteer to help monitor Hubs. It was a great experience and an opportunity to see world-class innovators at play.

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It didn’t take me long to realise that Hubs by Mozilla is simply amazing. In another post I will share some tips and tricks for newcomers but the top line is simple - it works pretty much anywhere, with a few caveats.

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For some people who haven’t experienced real VR, there is understandable skepticism. It sounds like an abstract novelty. Which it can be. But the value of immersion and bringing body language into digital online communications might be easier to appreciate during a pandemic lockdown. I think of VR as an optional presentation layer for those privileged enough to have it. This week was a great illustration of why there are many times when web video is not good enough.