Social app VRChat comes for Android and iPhone
VRChat announced a smartphone implementation. An update explains when Android and Apple users can start playing in the VR worlds.
VR users have been able to explore creative, user-generated worlds and meet colorful characters in VRChat since 2014. The colorful hustle and bustle can also be explored in front of a PC monitor. Implementations for smartphones are the next logical step to expand the audience. VRChat announced versions for Android, and later also for iOS, in a developer blog.
Expect the Android rollout in about three to four months. This version has been in the works for some time. For now, only subscribers to the paid VRChat Plus can access it. Expect a free public version in six to ten months.
VRChat for Android and iOS
A mid-range smartphone with 6 gigabytes of RAM is enough to start. Those with less than the minimum requirements won't even be able to download the app. "Since the Meta Quest runs Android, any world or avatar that works on Quest loads just fine on Android mobile," the developer blog states.
Much VRChat content is said to run well on Android smartphones right out of the gate. | Video: VRChat
Things get more complicated with user-created worlds and content. Many should run on mobile by themselves. Others with more complex controls require some modification. The team is currently fine-tuning an appropriate implementation for creators using in-house programming language "Udon".
An iOS implementation will follow later. The studio asks for a lot of patience, as Apple uses a completely different graphics framework. As it stands, creators would have to upload their created content in three different builds, which is obviously not ideal. The developers will reveal exactly how they solve this problem at a later date.
The successful social VR app Rec Room already offers access via Android, iOs, VR headsets, and many other platforms. Meta's Horizon Worlds is also to be implemented on mobile.
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