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Altspacers! Big Announcement: New features in AltspaceVR

We’ve just made it easier to customize your VR experience inside AltspaceVR.

You may have noticed a few new features have rolled out in the past few days. This includes friend tools, messaging and space bubble.

Space bubble:

VR makes it possible to feel incredibly present with other people, and we have seen the need for the ability to choose how closely others can approach you. Our latest feature helps bring the same social standards we have in real life into our virtual world.

  • Our intention with space bubble was to create a feature that both allows you to customize your experience and keep away people you would prefer to have distance with, and still allow you to be close to those you choose to be in close proximity with.

  • You can easily turn your space bubble on and off depending on your comfort level by clicking the space bubble icon on the bottom right of your home icon.

  • If the bubble is active, users can approach up to about a foot away before their hands and bodies disappear from your view. This allows others to get close without encroaching on your personal space.

    And yes, you can still fist bump, high five and air kiss with friends; you both turn off the space bubble. By default, the personal space bubble is active.

    Friending:

    It’s easier than ever to stay connected with your friends you meet in AltspaceVR using our new social tools. See when your friends are online, visit them with the click of a button, and send them text messages. Here’s quick tour of how it works:

  • Send a friend request to your favorite Altspacers.
  • Once they accept, you can see them on your Friend’s List.
  • When you’re in VR, you can see a list of your friends and their online status.
  • If they’re not in a private space, you can visit them.
  • To accept the friend requests of others, click the Friend Requests tab.
  • You’ll soon be able to friend people that are offline.

    Messaging:

    Once someone has accepted your friend request, you can also message each other privately in VR. You’ll see a message button on your friend’s name-tag. Click that to start a message. Your friends will see the message appear in front of them. Now you can stay quiet and enjoy the show, and communicate with your friends.

    Reminder - Muting:

    Of course as a reminder you can also customize your experience in VR with mute functionality. Say you’re attending VR and you’re watching Reggie Watts or another big VR venue. And that person right next to you is whispering… or one of those VR breathers. You can still press on the mute button to make sure it doesn’t interfere with your VR experience. Once you press the mute button on someone’s nametag, this person will not be muted for the room, but locally for you. You can continue to enjoy your VR experience without the extra noise of your VR friends in the room.

    So many exciting things on the horizon! See you in VR.

    Lisa, Community Manager