AltspaceVR shows the social side of virtual reality

AltspaceVR is one of many startups trying to shape the future of virtual reality. The company's software, which is in beta testing, puts potentially far-flung friends and colleagues into a shared space where they can watch movies or sports, socialize, and collaborate. In the past couple of years, virtual reality demos have been a standard feature of CES and tech gatherings such as South-by-Southwest Interactive. Most of these use the Oculus Rift, the VR headset that helped launch the currently booming interest in VR. The AltspaceVR demo combied the Rift (the DK2 version) with Intel's RealSense depth-sensing camera. The Rift supplied its sophisticated head-tracking capabilities, while the Intel camera followed the users' hand gestures.

The demo didn't have the rich graphics and gameplay of other jaw-dropping demos we've seen. Instead, it was notable for being a multiplayer experience. Four players at CES and a moderator based in California directed blob-like avatars in conversation and a clumsy game of volleyball while standing on a beach. It had an Olympic Peninsula vibe. Now, there's little doubt that if VR becomes a mainstream technology anytime soon, it will be thanks to gaming. But VR thinkers—including early innovator and writer Jaron Lanier, science fiction juggernaut Neal Stephenson, and Rift founder Palmer Luckey—have imagined the technology as a way to empower individuals to just hang out in virtual spaces, going to concerts, watching movies, and maybe traveling to other worlds. Along with such developments as Second Life's support for the Rift, the AltspaceVR represents a step in that direction.

—Jerry Beilinson