patial, the award-winning VR/AR collaboration platform that turns any room into a 3D workspace, today announced significant updates to its AR and VR environments that will help equip businesses for long term success in post-Covid hybrid workplaces. With 8 million minutes logged across headset desktop and mobile, the new features will improve experiences for a broad range of use cases. Updates include stronger host controls to handle large meetings, ability to scan objects or whole rooms, transferring them instantly to virtual 3D models using LiDAR technology, live translation for global teams, new outdoor environment, improved spatial audio, and Cast for macOS that allows users to stream their entire desktop and share content with friends right within Spatial. Joining Spatial from your web browser is now as simple as just clicking a link, no account creation or install needed. Spatial is also announcing a beta version of PCVR support and once live, a host of new users will be able to access Spatial through Steam on HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, Varjo and Oculus Rift/Rift S.
The office has changed forever. With it brings new norms, challenges and meeting etiquettes that companies are navigating as they prepare for a longer-term reality of both in-person and remote workers. Quest 2s are hitting record sales, with Zuckerberg stating that “it is on track to be the first mainstream virtual reality headset.” Many companies are reimagining their offices in virtual space, buying up Quest 2 headsets for everyone across the business.
Spatial’s latest updates will improve the experience for users joining from headset, web or mobile. The latest improvements enable smarter productivity tools across teams, as well as more seamless collaboration for both work and play. Missing the office? Simply scan the space and jump in to hang out in it again with teammates in VR instead!
“Real-time 3D collaboration was always an inevitable future for the next medium of computing but Covid-19 has catapulted it forward”,
said Anand Agarawala, CEO of Spatial.
“We never built Spatial with the idea that it would replace in-person work but as we suddenly find ourselves in this new normal, companies are having to tackle issues they had not foreseen. Some of the new features mirror in-person work etiquette like greater security and controls for meeting organizers, whereas others have surfaced naturally after spending hours collaborating in these new virtual spaces. Our plan is to make Spatial as ubiquitous and useful as Google Docs is today. We want it to become a tool users can’t live without.”
The full set of feature updates include:
- Richer features to accommodate scale & a diversity of use cases
- Custom environments - Import any 3D model or scan your own physical environment with LiDAR (using an iOS device) and set it as your room environment. Now your meetings can happen anywhere you can imagine.
- Live translation - Accommodates 30+ languages for teams joining from multiple regions. Language never needs to be a barrier to communication in VR! (Pro only feature)
- Private Rooms - Limit access to only those specified by a room admin, such as your immediate team or a specific group of friends
- Host tools - Administrators of large meetings give the ability to mute users, lock content, remove participants and enable feature specific permissions
- Better web experience - Better experience for web participants with moveable Spectator camera, allowing you to choose your view and position in the room
- Selfie stick - Take pictures of objects or yourself that you can easily share with others via email
- Spatial audio improvements - The farther you are from someone the harder it becomes to hear them, making it perfect for cocktail parties & breakout sessions
- Outdoor campfire environment - A new beautifully designed outdoor campfire environment for large groups or intimate social settings and sing-a-longs!
- Avatar customization - Includes skin and shirt color making avatars even more reflective of the real you
- Simpler access via web
- Join in one click - no account sign-up or user account required for web users. Great for quickly sharing meetings with new participants
- Bring the virtual office to you, working alongside co-workers or sharing content with friends
- Cast from macOS is a high-performance app that lets you stream your macOS screen into the space around you through VR, complete with audio. Work side by side with friends in virtual space, watch movies or play games together.
Spatial customers are spending hundreds of hours each day collaborating in virtual environments, crossing a broad section of use cases - anything from planning or strategy meetings, model review sessions, social gatherings, events, virtual plays, college students collaborating on projects, COVID response teams and much more!
Spatial recently launched its native mobile apps allowing users to join from mobile as well as a growing number of headset devices. Mobile apps are available for free download on iOS and Android. For more info visit: spatial.io.
Additional media: 8 million minutes trailer
About Spatial
Spatial enables an entirely new way of working together and eliminates the need for video conferencing and work travel. Spatial is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco and Kansas City. With Spatial, users can connect from all over the world and share ideas seamlessly using life-like avatars and knowledge work tools, unlocking a new level of productivity not confined by space.
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