What is AltspaceVR?
AltspaceVR is a virtual reality event platform owned by Microsoft. It provides a real-time, voice-to-voice experience while interacting with avatars. If you have a VR headset, your head and hand movements move your avatar in Altspace. If you don’t have a VR headset, you can still participate in 2D mode. (But you really need an audio headset with microphone – if you don't, everyone hears a distracting echo when you are unmuted.)
AltspaceVR provides many types of virtual environments - board rooms, stages, dance floors, even virtual worlds. You create events much like you would create a Teams event. They can be private or public. If public, you can ask them to promote your event as a "featured" event on the events page. If private, your event is not listed at all and you have to give the meeting link to your participants.
At a meeting, you can project slides or video. As the host, you can control who has the microphone and who is muted. Some meeting rooms let you block the stage so only approved people can be on it.
The biggest benefit Altspace provides over Teams is the ability for multiple small groups of people to have conversations at the same time. If you don't like the conversation you are listening to, you can walk across the room and join another conversation. You can also casually encounter people in Altspace much like you would run into them at an event in real space.
Getting Started in AltspaceVR
There is a learning curve in getting started with AltpaceVR. By the time you get through the short
tutorial, you'll know enough to participate in many fun types of events, but please give yourself plenty of time to get set up and play with the tutorial. If you need help, you can tweet @CxPCathy on Twitter for help.
if you have a compatible VR headset, use that to play in 3D mode. More info here: https://altvr.com/.
The directions that follow assume you are using 2D mode, without a VR headset.
It's strongly recommended to have an audio headset with a mic rather than open mics and speakers. If you don't, you can still join, but you should keep yourself muted unless you are speaking so people don't get an echo when they speak.
AltspaceVR takes some processing power, so close any apps you don’t need to have open. It also takes some bandwidth, so a wired connection is better than WiFi.
Here's what you need to get started:
1. Install the app here on Windows 10: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/altspacevr/9nvr7mn2fchq?activetab=pivot:overviewtab Or get it in Steam on the platform of your choice:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/407060/AltspaceVR/
2. After you get the app installed, you'll need to create an account and agree to the terms of service. You can set up your name card, which includes a unique username and also a name that doesn't need to be unique. You can change the Name any time you want, but you have to open a support request to change your Username.
TIP: If you want to change your Name later, you'll have to log into your account on the website – The only thing you can change in the app is whether your Name is shown.
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3. After you log in with your account, you can customize your avatar. For now I’m rocking some pink hair.
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4. There's a tutorial and you really should do it.
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If you want to skip it so you can get to the other things, click the blue triangle button near the word Close to bring up your menu. Notice that the first four items are grayed out, because you're in Tutorial mode. You can click Skip next to Skip Tutorial and that will bring you into full play mode. But it's really good to experiment in the tutorial first. To return to the tutorial, click Close without clicking Skip.
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6. Moving around. I found it a bit tricky because the keystrokes they list in the help are incomplete. Here's a more complete diagram
If you hold down your Shift key while you move, it makes you move faster!
Tutorial Tips
7. To continue through the tutorial, look for the blue arrows. Start by turning left and moving yourself out the door.
8. After you get through the door, turn left again to look for the next blue arrow.. It will take you to a box of fireworks so you can practice handling something. As soon as you pick up one firework you can advance to the next step – you don't actually need to set it off. I'm sure if you have a VR headset, it's really cool to handle objects. It's tougher in 2D but you can do it. Only objects that get the blue highlight can be handled.
9. Turn left to find the blue arrow by the basketball court. Click on a basketball and throw it as best you can to advance to the next step in the tutorial. You don't need to make a basket to continue!
10. Turn left again to find the keypad by the next blue arrow. The code to type in is on a note taped to the bottom of the keyboard. Just click your mouse on each number, then the door will open.
11. After you go in the door, there's one more arrow to move to. Then it offers to take you to the Community Center. If you go there, you can start interacting with other people. You can wander through the booths, which show you how to host your own event. Other people may come up and talk to you.
12. After you are done with the tutorial, you can click the triangle menu button to see events and manage your Friends in AltspaceVR. You can also turn on the Worlds Beta settings and explore lots of interesting places.