Difference between revisions of "VRChat"
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|duration = January 16, 2014 - present | |duration = January 16, 2014 - present | ||
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| − | '''VRChat''' is an online [[W:Virtual world|virtual world]] created with the Unity game engine, consisting of thousands of user- | + | '''VRChat''' is an online [[W:Virtual world|virtual world]] (''[[W:Metaverse|metaverse]]'') created with the Unity game engine, consisting of thousands of user-generated worlds of various genres and environments that are populated by player [[avatar (virtual reality)|avatars]] which can be acquired through the process of either creating an avatar from scratch and uploading it, purchasing a pre-made avatar from another creator and privately uploading it to your account; or by interacting with a free avatar pedestal within VRChat, which will [[transform]] the user into the avatar displayed. |
== History == | == History == | ||
| − | VRChat was created by Graham Gaylor while he was a student at Vanderbilt University, and | + | VRChat was created by [[Graham Gaylor]] while he was a student at [[W:Vanderbilt University|Vanderbilt University]], and originally served as a forum for users to discuss virtual reality. It first launched on [[w:Microsoft_Windows|Microsoft Windows]] and [[W:Oculus|Oculus]] Rift on January 16, 2014. It was later released on [[W:Steam_(service)|Steam]] in 2017, which gave non-Oculus VR users accessibility for the first time. VRChat was released on the [[W:Oculus Quest|Oculus Quest]] series of headsets starting in 2019, and an ongoing beta version for mobile Android systems starting in 2023 by running a similar version used by the Meta Quest. |
| − | + | === Hardware === | |
| − | Despite that the platform is called '''VRChat''', ''it is not a requirement to own a VR headset or [[ | + | VRChat currently supports all Oculus and Meta headsets, minus Oculus Go, and Oculus Quest 1 being formerly supported via the Meta Store; [[W:Pico 4|PICO 4]] via the [https://www.picoxr.com/global/games/vr-chat PICO Store], [[w:Windows_Mixed_Reality|Windows Mixed Reality headsets]], and any PCVR-compatible headset that can operate [[W:Steam_(service)#SteamVR|SteamVR]], such as the [[W:Valve_Index|Valve Index]] or most [[W:HTC_Vive|HTC]] and [[W:Pimax|Pimax]] headsets. Desktop users can access VRChat via Steam, without the need for SteamVR. VRChat is currently developing for mobile Android smartphones and tablets using Android 10 or newer to access VRChat through Google Play. |
| + | |||
| + | Despite that the platform is called '''VRChat''', ''it is not a requirement to own a VR headset or [[W:Head-mounted_display|head-mounted display]] ('''HMD''') to play.'' Unfortunately, users playing without a VR headset do not have the advantage of manually moving their appendages. They can only use one hand when interacting with an object by using the mouse. Few content in worlds are exclusively manageable by those playing in virtual reality which requires two hands, but this is a case-by-case basis and sometimes not intentional. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Notably, it also supports optional full-body humanoid avatar tracking via 'base station' sensors compatible with [[W:HTC_Vive#Hardware_and_accessories|Vive Trackers]] and [https://tundra-labs.com/ Tundra Trackers], Wi-Fi connected gyroscope trackers such as owoTrack, SlimeVR and [[W:Sony|Sony]] mocopi, or tracking with webcam modules such as [[W:Kinect|Xbox Kinect]]. You can also utilize [[W:Open Sound Control|Open Sound Control]] ('''OSC''') applications to apply external gadgets to an avatar, such as haptics, eye tracking, mouth tracking, or heart rate monitors. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Minimum requirement and other OSes === | ||
| + | |||
| + | For personal computers, VRChat supports [[W:Windows OS 8.1|Windows OS 8.1]] to [[W:Windows 11|Windows 11]] with an [[Intel® i5-4590]]/[[AMD FX 8350]] equivalent or greater, a minimum of 4GB RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 970/AMD Radeon™ R9 290 equivalent or greater, a [[W:Broadband|broadband Internet connection]], and a minimum of 21.5GB of storage (~1.5GB for application, remaining for content cache). On smart devices, Android 10 or newer is required with 6GB of RAM or greater, and can be accessed either via broadband Internet, or 4G/5G cellular towers. | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[W:Apple computer|Apple computer]]s® and [[W:MacOS|MacOS]], are not officially supported, but was formerly possible to access by using Steam on a [[W:Virtual_machine|virtualized environment]] (i.e [[W:Parallels Desktop|Parallels Desktop]] with Windows 11). This workaround became unusable when anti-cheat measures were installed in 2022. VRChat plans to eventually expand to [[W:iOS|iOS]] platforms in the distant future. | ||
==Gameplay== | ==Gameplay== | ||
| − | When the player begins VRChat for the first time, they take the form of a VRChat-approved avatar | + | When the player begins VRChat for the first time, they take the form of a VRChat-approved avatar. Upon loading into their home world, the player has complete freedom on where to go next, what to do, and who to talk to. Naturally, first-time users will want to find an '''avatar world''', a user-created world with a collection of many free-to-use avatars to take the form of, including but not limited to [[anthropomorphic]] [[animal]]s and [[kemonomimi]] avatars. |
| − | + | The types of worlds created by users range from fantasy, games, dance clubs, personal worlds and homes, and real-world recreations, although not officially categorized. In the World tab in the VRChat menu, players can favorite a world to have in a personal list to visit later, or they can set the world as their personal home which allows the user to load into the world by default any time they start up VRChat. | |
| − | There are many public and private environments of all genres that the player can explore. Players can choose to join a public instance, or create a private instance to be alone or invite friends after adding them. The type of privacy of created instances is up to the player, and follows under the various tiers: | + | There are many public and private environments of all genres that the player can explore. You may also create and join various community groups to meet other users with mutual interests. Players can choose to join a public instance, or create a private instance to be alone or invite friends after adding them. The type of privacy of created instances is up to the player, and follows under the various tiers: |
*'''Public''' - Anyone can join | *'''Public''' - Anyone can join | ||
| Line 32: | Line 42: | ||
*'''Invite+''' - Players and friends of players must request to join your instance, unless you or an invited user's social status is set to "Join Me" | *'''Invite+''' - Players and friends of players must request to join your instance, unless you or an invited user's social status is set to "Join Me" | ||
*'''Invite''' - Players must send a join request to join you, unless your social status is set to "Join Me"; friends of friends are excluded | *'''Invite''' - Players must send a join request to join you, unless your social status is set to "Join Me"; friends of friends are excluded | ||
| + | *'''Group''' - An instance that only members of a group, or specific roles within that group can access. | ||
| + | *'''Group+''' - An instance hosted by a group, in which friends of group members, friends of their friends, and so on, can join. Group+ instances may have appointed group moderators to manage an instance. Being a member of the hosting group is not required to join the instance. | ||
| + | *'''Group Public''' - A publicly listed instance, hosted by a group, to which anyone can join. Group Public instances may have appointed group moderators to manage an instance. | ||
| − | + | VRChat users have the ability to open the Quick Menu and click on another player that brings open a separate Player Menu that can allow the player to add them as a friend, mute their microphone, hide their avatar, or block them completely. It also allows a button to show the stats of the avatar that they are using, and show the avatar's publisher. Players can also filter the optimization of player ranks through the Safety tab of the menu, which can automatically adjust VRChat's performance via toggling or limited user Trust ranks, or by avatar performance ranking. It can allow a user to filter audio, avatars, particles, shaders, interactions, and sounds that an avatar emits. | |
| − | + | Many worlds include the use of mirrors, which the player can toggle on or off to look at a reflection of their avatar or other users standing nearby. Mirrors are popular within VRChat, as one who uses an avatar can become more psychologically attached to their virtual body by looking at a reflection of their avatar via [[W:Proteus effect|Proteus effect]]. Some users will interact with mirrors with the intention of developing or improving "[[W:Phantom limb|phantom sense]]", or taking time to further find ways to express their identity. Cliques of users commonly dubbed ''mirror-dwellers'', are joked about within the VRChat community, as they may only stare in mirrors with their friends in isolated instances, and refuse to do anything productive. Mirrors are a default asset of the software development kit for VRChat, which is why it is abundant to find mirrors in many worlds. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | Many worlds include the use of mirrors, which the player can toggle on or off to look at a reflection of their avatar or other users standing nearby. Mirrors are popular within VRChat, as one who uses an avatar can become more psychologically attached to their virtual body by looking at a reflection of their avatar | + | |
== Trust ranks == | == Trust ranks == | ||
| − | The '''Trust rank system''' is a system exclusive to VRChat. Trust is earned through spending time on the platform, adding friends, uploading content (avatars, worlds), and having users experience your uploaded content. It is possible to lose trust on your account, which can happen from getting blocked by users, being reported, and/or unfriending, or being unfriended by multiple users at once, as well as breaking articles within VRChat's [https://hello.vrchat.com/legal Terms of Service] and [https://hello.vrchat.com/community-guidelines Community Guidelines]. It's theorized that numerous social infractions within a short period of time can result in an automatic de-rank, but it's possible to rank up again over time. Players who are on a VRChat account ''(not Steam or | + | The '''Trust rank system''' is a system exclusive to VRChat. Trust is earned through spending time on the platform, adding friends, uploading content (avatars, worlds), and having users experience your uploaded content. It is possible to lose trust on your account, which can happen from getting blocked by users, being reported, and/or unfriending, or being unfriended by multiple users at once, as well as breaking articles within VRChat's [https://hello.vrchat.com/legal Terms of Service] and [https://hello.vrchat.com/community-guidelines Community Guidelines]. It's theorized that numerous social infractions within a short period of time can result in an automatic de-rank, but it's possible to rank up again over time. Players who are on a VRChat account ''(not Steam or Meta account)'', and are within the New User rank or greater will be granted the privilege to upload avatars and worlds to VRChat; this is done to prevent spam. Otherwise, Trust ranks do not affect anything that the player accesses on the platform. You can tell the Trust rank of a user by opening the Quick Menu and looking at the user's nameplate, with white being brand new to VRChat, and purple being a seasoned user. The various tiers of the Trust rank are as follows: |
'''Normal Ranks''' | '''Normal Ranks''' | ||
*'''Visitor (white)''' - The default rank of every user beginning VRChat for the first time. It is estimated a Visitor has approximately less than twelve hours of time spent on VRChat. | *'''Visitor (white)''' - The default rank of every user beginning VRChat for the first time. It is estimated a Visitor has approximately less than twelve hours of time spent on VRChat. | ||
| − | *'''New User (blue)''' - At this rank, players will have the ability to upload worlds and avatars as long as they have a compatible version of Unity and | + | *'''New User (blue)''' - At this rank, players with VRChat accounts will have the ability to upload worlds and avatars as long as they have a compatible version of Unity and VRChat Creator Companion. |
| − | *'''User (green)''' | + | *'''User (green)''' - Known and Trusted users may be hiding as this rank. |
*'''Known User (orange)''' - People who have this rank or higher can mask their rank to show as a User (green). | *'''Known User (orange)''' - People who have this rank or higher can mask their rank to show as a User (green). | ||
| − | *'''Trusted User (purple)''' - This is the highest visible rank to achieve in VRChat at this time. It's estimated that this rank can be achieved by being logged on frequently for at least a year | + | *'''Trusted User (purple)''' - This is the highest visible rank to achieve in VRChat at this time. It's estimated that this rank can be achieved by being logged on frequently for at least a year, uploading content, and/or adding dozens of friends. |
'''Other Ranks''' | '''Other Ranks''' | ||
| − | *'''Nuisance ( | + | *'''Nuisance (white)''' - A negative rank lower than a Visitor. Users under this rank are automatically muted, and their avatar hidden by everyone. You may choose to manually unhide or unmute a Nuisance user at your own risk. This rank can be achieved by being muted, blocked, and/or reported multiple times in a short time span as a Visitor or New User, or violating major VRChat Terms of Service or Community Guidelines policies at any rank. It is possible to go back from Nuisance to Visitor, but your account will permanently have a '[[troll]]' tag. |
| − | + | *'''VRChat Team (red)''' - This rank is for official executives, moderators, administrators, and developers of VRChat. However, the current VRChat UI only shows staff as Trusted users to everyone within the platform. You can check for a red tag via API tools, or the VRChat website. Most staff members frequent their personal accounts, which do not have administrative privileges. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | *'''VRChat Team (red)''' - This rank is for official executives, moderators, administrators, and developers of VRChat. However, the current VRChat UI only shows staff as Trusted users to everyone within the platform. You can check for a red tag via API tools, or the VRChat website. | + | |
| − | == | + | ==Groups== |
| − | + | One of VRChat's features involves the creation and involvement of Groups. With an active VRChat Plus subscription, a user can create up to five groups that can contain up to 100,000 users each. Maintaining a VRChat Plus subscription is not necessary for keeping groups that you create, but it is required for group creation, changing pictures and banners, and transferring the group to another user if desired. Any user can join up to 100 different groups (VRChat Plus subscribers are able to join up to 200), and 'represent' ''(or display)'' one group banner over their nameplate at a time. | |
| − | + | Group creation can be done several different ways. Creators of groups can choose different forms of group visibility: | |
| + | *'''Visible''' - public; can be displayed by anyone | ||
| + | *'''Friends Only''' | ||
| + | *'''Hidden''' - by invite only; no representation | ||
| − | + | Group joinability is sorted by public (users can join on demand), request to join, or via invitation only. A group name, description, and rules can be shown on the Group's front page, along with a 'shortcode' for users to share and search, a string of up to six chosen alphanumeric characters, followed by four randomly generated digits. This is designed so that group names aren't unique, and two groups can share the same name ''(e.g. WIKIFR.2005)''. Different group roles can be created, which have different permissions, such as making group announcements that display on your HUD, editing the group's photo gallery, and kicking or banishing users from the group. | |
| + | |||
| + | Since the implementation of Groups, there have been several niche furry communities publicly available to join. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Premium Features == | ||
| + | |||
| + | VRChat is funded by VRChat Plus subscribers, sponsored events such as [[Furality Online Xperience]], and through its own Creator Economy<ref>[https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205640487/en/VRChat-Launches-Creator-Economy-via-Paid-Subscriptions VRChat Launches Creator Economy via Paid Subscriptions] Retrieved December 5, 2023.</ref>. VRChat users have the option to support the platform directly by subscribing to VRChat Plus for $10 USD per month, or $100 USD per year. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''VRChat Plus includes access to do the following:''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Be able to save and favorite up to '''300 avatars''', versus the standard 50.''' | ||
| + | *'''Join 200 groups''', versus the standard 100. | ||
| + | *'''Create five VRChat groups''', which are permanent (even if your subscription lapses). | ||
| + | *'''VRCat''', one of VRChat's mascots, hangs out on your Quick Menu, and states tips and phrases when clicked on. | ||
| + | *Ability to '''change your Quick Menu''', and Main Menu backgrounds to "parallax" layered, '''stereoscopic art'''. | ||
| + | *Redesign the '''User Interface colors''' with your own choice of pallette. | ||
| + | *A one-time '''boost to your Trust rank''' applied to your account. | ||
| + | *Gain exclusive access to the '''VRChat Creator Economy''', allowing for creator monetization. | ||
| + | *Access to utilize your '''personal gallery''', allowing you to also... | ||
| + | **Customize your profile picture. | ||
| + | **Have an icon next to your nameplate. | ||
| + | **Upload pictures to group galleries. | ||
| + | **Attach photos to your invite requests and responses, to friends. | ||
| + | **Create up to 9 static or animated emojis or GIFs, in customizable shapes and animations. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Users also have the option to support other community members or creators by purchasing and giving ''VRChat Credits'', or ''VRC Credits'' (identified with a "\V" symbol); the current credit-to-dollar ratio being 120 credits per USD. Any user can purchase and make transactions with credits, but a user must enroll to VRChat's Creator Program to earn VR Credits from their works by [https://hello.vrchat.com/legal/economy meeting certain requirements]. Credits that are earned by being a creator can be repurposed into supporting other VRChat community members, or save up credits for a payout. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The only current method to spend VRC Credits is by subscribing monthly to a group, or world creator via the Group Menu, or kiosks within worlds. One time purchases will eventually be implemented to easily manage funds, and 'tipping' individual users directly is also planned. The Creator Economy is still a work in progress as of March 2024. | ||
== VRChat and furry == | == VRChat and furry == | ||
| − | [[Furry|Furries]] have slowly flourished within the social platform since the beginning, and created several communities within the platform | + | [[Furry|Furries]] have slowly flourished within the social platform since the beginning, and created several communities within the platform, evolving to the point where sponsored and unofficial [[online furry conventions|online]] [[furry conventions]] have been held within VRChat with its various pros and cons in comparison to in-person attendance at a convention. Popularity with users who are furries in VRChat, and virtual reality technology in general, has spiked among the [[furry fandom]] exponentially during the [[COVID-19]] pandemic in 2020. |
A market for 3D avatars and [[fursona]] models have grown with the popularity of users interacting with VRChat. There is a debate that [[avatar (virtual reality)|avatars]] are a great alternative for [[fursuit|fursuiting]]. Pros being that they are cheaper, more dexterous, and will not break and wear out over time. It is also a great way for a furry to become psychologically more attached to expressing their identity or fursona. Props that are generally not permitted at a [[furry convention]], such as swords, can be brought to a virtual convention or furmeet since it won't do any bodily harm. | A market for 3D avatars and [[fursona]] models have grown with the popularity of users interacting with VRChat. There is a debate that [[avatar (virtual reality)|avatars]] are a great alternative for [[fursuit|fursuiting]]. Pros being that they are cheaper, more dexterous, and will not break and wear out over time. It is also a great way for a furry to become psychologically more attached to expressing their identity or fursona. Props that are generally not permitted at a [[furry convention]], such as swords, can be brought to a virtual convention or furmeet since it won't do any bodily harm. | ||
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[[Japan Meeting of Furries]] was the first to ever implement a furry convention in virtual reality.<ref>[https://twitter.com/JMoF_en/status/1214178543661285378 JMoF VR Announcement]</ref>The '''JMOF''' team re-created a virtual rendition of the ''Loisir Hotel'' in [[W:Toyohashi, Aichi|Toyohashi, Aichi]], Japan. While the first event was mostly attended by Japanese users, people who spoke other languages were free to attend. Gimmicks of the event included a two-way [[w:Live_streaming|livestream]] of attendees at the physical convention while streaming the VR Lounge at the convention in person, demonstrating one of the first examples of a [[hybrid convention]]. | [[Japan Meeting of Furries]] was the first to ever implement a furry convention in virtual reality.<ref>[https://twitter.com/JMoF_en/status/1214178543661285378 JMoF VR Announcement]</ref>The '''JMOF''' team re-created a virtual rendition of the ''Loisir Hotel'' in [[W:Toyohashi, Aichi|Toyohashi, Aichi]], Japan. While the first event was mostly attended by Japanese users, people who spoke other languages were free to attend. Gimmicks of the event included a two-way [[w:Live_streaming|livestream]] of attendees at the physical convention while streaming the VR Lounge at the convention in person, demonstrating one of the first examples of a [[hybrid convention]]. | ||
| − | [[Furality Online Xperience]] is the first furry convention to officially partner with VRChat, and is the first virtual reality furry convention to operate without a pre-existing venue | + | [[Furality Online Xperience]] is the first furry convention to officially partner with VRChat, and is the first virtual reality furry convention to operate without a pre-existing venue, as well as an online furry convention with the most venues, being one of the only active furry conventions in the history of the fandom to once operate bi-annually. They have since achieved status of being the [[List of online furry conventions by attendance|most attended furry event]] in 2023. |
| − | + | There are also several members of the VRChat development team who openly identify as furries, and most non-furry staff members are quite accepting of them, also going as far as to attending Furality Online Xperience. VRChat often showcases furry content in official promotions, avatars, and behind-the-scenes updates. | |
| − | === Notable furry communities === | + | === Notable furry worlds and communities === |
| − | * [[FurHub]] - An ongoing project to update a lobby that is a hub containing relevant art and avatars, and portals to worlds all created by people within the fandom. | + | '''Worlds''' |
| − | * [ | + | * [[FurHub]] (FURHUB.9442) - An ongoing project to update a lobby that is a hub containing relevant art and avatars, and portals to worlds all created by people within the fandom. |
| − | * [[TailBass]] - A [[dance]] coordination group that tries to have live [[DJ|furry DJs]] play in VRChat. They are the masterminds behind [[Hex Furryfest]], also formerly working with [[Megaplex Online]]. | + | * [https://vrchat.com/home/world/wrld_c591c76e-0ac2-413d-969e-b243ae943ace Furry Talk and Chill] (FTAC.1360) - A popular, low-poly hangout for furries optimized for Meta Quest systems. Notably, a world with frequent world moderators that keep out trolls. |
| − | * [[Best Boi]] - A group with interest on a free base model and a species called Foxdragons, with a community based usually around group meetups and friendship. The community has had several iterations, with the current community being lead by [[Rustydustyfox]] | + | * [https://vrchat.com/home/world/wrld_7416746a-9a5f-4d49-8135-2ff55388b09d Furry Karaoke] (SING.1711) |
| − | + | * [https://vrchat.com/home/world/wrld_7730e944-0083-4400-857b-4dd32264d195 FurLounge] | |
| − | * [[Furgatory_(VRChat)|Furgatory]]/[[Club Nargacrewga]] - | + | * [https://vrchat.com/home/world/wrld_4b341546-65ff-4607-9d38-5b7f8f405132 Furry Hideout] (HIDE.4323) |
| − | + | ||
| + | '''Communities''' | ||
| + | * [[TailBass]] (TAILB.5595) - A [[dance]] coordination group that tries to have live [[DJ|furry DJs]] play in VRChat. They are the masterminds behind [[Hex Furryfest]], also formerly working with [[Megaplex Online]]. | ||
| + | * [[KEMO CLUB]] - A [[kemono]] dance community based out of Japan, hosted by popular v-tuber, [[Sorami]]. They focus on event-organizing and hosting dance parties for holidays and special occasions. | ||
| + | * [[Shiba Squad]] (SHIBAS.4899) - A group centered around VRChat content creator [[Pikapetey|Pikapetey's]] [[w:Shiba_Inu|shiba inu]] base model. | ||
| + | * [[Taidum | Team Taidum]] (TAIDUM.1923) - A group centered around the [[Taidum]] [[original species]] created by [[Irix]]. | ||
| + | * [[Best Boi]] (BBOIS.6342) - A group with interest on a free base model and a species called Foxdragons, with a community based usually around group meetups and friendship. The community has had several iterations, with the current community being lead by [[Rustydustyfox]] | ||
| + | * [[Furgatory_(VRChat)|Furgatory]]/[[Club Nargacrewga]] - An expanding community and hub created by [[Nyinxie]]. Developed by multiple communities ranging from fans of [[Nargacuga]], [[Wickerbeast]], and [[Avali]] avatars and communities.<ref>[https://twitter.com/NyinxDeLune/status/1349679041973006337 Furgatory Twitter Announcement]</ref> | ||
=== Conventions held in VRChat (A-Z) === | === Conventions held in VRChat (A-Z) === | ||
| Line 97: | Line 143: | ||
| [[AnthroExpo]] | | [[AnthroExpo]] | ||
|April 10-11, 2021 | |April 10-11, 2021 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Anthro Northwest]] | ||
| + | | Multiple; first iteration December 26, 2020 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Blue Ridge Furfare]] | | [[Blue Ridge Furfare]] | ||
| − | |March 12-14, 2021 | + | |Multiple; first iteration March 12-14, 2021 |
|- | |- | ||
| [[Confuror]] | | [[Confuror]] | ||
| − | | | + | |Multiple; first iteration Oct. 9-11, 2020 |
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[CozyCon]] | ||
| + | |Multiple; first iteration Sept. 2020 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Furcation]] | ||
| + | |November 6-8, 2020 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Furpocalypse]] | ||
| + | |Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2020 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Further Confusion]] | | [[Further Confusion]] | ||
| Line 111: | Line 169: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Furnal Equinox]] | | [[Furnal Equinox]] | ||
| − | |March 19-21, 2021 | + | |Multiple; first iteration March 19-21, 2021 |
|- | |- | ||
| [[Furality Online Xperience]] | | [[Furality Online Xperience]] | ||
| − | |May 22-24 | + | |Multiple; first iteration May 22-24, 2020<ref>[https://furality.org/ Furality.org] official convention website. Retrieved April 2, 2020.</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| [[Furrydelphia Virtualcon]] | | [[Furrydelphia Virtualcon]] | ||
|August 14-16, 2020 | |August 14-16, 2020 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Furry Migration]] Online | ||
| + | |Dec. 31, 2020-Jan. 1, 2021 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Furry Weekend At-Home]] | ||
| + | |May 7-8, 2021 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[FVRUM]] | ||
| + | | December 18, 2021 <ref>[https://twitter.com/FURUM_MY/status/1455520073221763072 FURs Upon Malaysia (FURUM) Twitter], posted November 2, 2021.</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Hex Furryfest]] | | [[Hex Furryfest]] | ||
| − | |July 17-19 | + | |Multiple; first iteration July 17-19, 2020 |
|- | |- | ||
| [[IndyFurCon]] Live! | | [[IndyFurCon]] Live! | ||
| Line 126: | Line 193: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Infurnity Online]] | | [[Infurnity Online]] | ||
| − | |October 29-31, 2020 | + | |Multiple; first iteration October 29-31, 2020 |
|- | |- | ||
| [[Japan Meeting of Furries]]<ref>https://twitter.com/JMoF_en/status/1214178543661285378</ref> | | [[Japan Meeting of Furries]]<ref>https://twitter.com/JMoF_en/status/1214178543661285378</ref> | ||
| − | |Oct 2019; | + | |Multiple; first iteration Oct. 2019 |
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Little Island Furcon]] | ||
| + | |Multiple; first iteration November 13, 2021 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Megaplex Online]]<ref>[https://megaplex.online/ Megaplex Online's website]</ref> | | [[Megaplex Online]]<ref>[https://megaplex.online/ Megaplex Online's website]</ref> | ||
|August 21-23, 2020 | |August 21-23, 2020 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[OwOmaCon]] | ||
| + | |October 24-25, 2020 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Texas Furry Fiesta]] | | [[Texas Furry Fiesta]] | ||
|March 26-28, 2021 | |March 26-28, 2021 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[The Energetic Convention]] (T.E.C.) | ||
| + | |Multiple; first iteration Oct. 25-31, 2020 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Vancoufur]] - EvfurQuest Online | | [[Vancoufur]] - EvfurQuest Online | ||
| − | |March 6-8, 2021 | + | |Multiple; first iteration March 6-8, 2021 |
|- | |- | ||
| [[VirtualFurence]] | | [[VirtualFurence]] | ||
|August 21-23, 2020<ref>[https://twitter.com/virtualfurence/status/1282388183972556801 Twitter announcement]</ref> | |August 21-23, 2020<ref>[https://twitter.com/virtualfurence/status/1282388183972556801 Twitter announcement]</ref> | ||
|} | |} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Criticism== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Multiple users have openly criticized the optimization of VRChat since its inception, citing that VRChat in the past, has relied on unstable and outdated versions of the [[w:Unity_(game_engine)|Unity]] game engine with claims that only one core of a computer's CPU are being utilized. The developers of VRChat have countered this statement, noting that VRChat have been running on multiple cores since Unity 5.6. Users have the freedom to upload avatars with realistic capabilities not before seen in social platforms and games by adding assets to their avatars such as '''shaders''', which are a light filter for various effects on avatars or objects; '''physics bones''', often referred to as "jiggle physics" which allow an avatar's skeletal structure to move fluidly on parts such as hair, ears, [[tail]]s, and [[breast]]s; '''particles''', which can emit glowing lights scattered on either concentrated parts of the avatar or free-flowing. Adding many of these assets on a single avatar can possibly affect the VRChat's performance for users, especially if they have a lower-end computer or on a Meta Quest HMD. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Users have complained and worried about '''crasher avatars''' (less referred to as '''clappers'''), which is a loophole performed by malicious players which can allow an avatar to have an unpermitted amount of particles, meshes, and/or shaders, which can cause a serial or radius of users upon that user's will to crash or lag due to the engine's incapability to process that many effects at once. VRChat takes crashers seriously, and constantly punishes both uploaders and users of these avatars. Similarly, bot accounts were once used to manipulate and crash instances. To counter this, VRChat added a captcha system within the platform, and upon signup to reduce the amount of bot-related incidents. VRChat planned to reduce the maximum file size for any and all uploaded avatars to 200MB compressed in download size; 500MB decompressed in VRAM, in July 2024. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Players using malicious modified clients, or cheats, can steal ('''"rip"''') a victim's private avatar(s) through acquisition of avatar IDs. Though this occurrence is extremely rare, and VRChat's official staff actively combats this from happening. More often, there have been cases of users [[Art piracy|re-distributing]] avatars ('''"base models"''') that are paid for through third-party websites such as [[BOOTH]], [[Gumroad]], or [[Patreon]]; this method is unfortunately more common, and are not easy to trace. VRChat does not currently have any methods implemented to verify the legitimate purchase of an avatar by a user. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In July 2022, VRChat introduced [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Games#Acquisitions Epic Games'] '''Easy Anti-Cheat''' (EAC) program to disable widespread illicit modding of VRChat clients. The introduction of Easy Anti-Cheat created explosive backlash from a majority of users for several reasons, such as modifications claiming to solve problems, bugs, or add features that VRChat did not have the ability to cover at the time. Easy Anti-Cheat also prevents other games or programs that use EAC detection to be unplayable during a VRChat session. As a result, a minority of users, some of that minority permanently, moved to rival platforms, such as ChilloutVR, and Resonite (formerly known as 'NeosVR'). In response, VRChat's development team expedited new features to help ease users by introducing accessibility options, such as user chatboxes for mute users, accessibility for people with color blindness and/or color vision deficiencies, Horizon Adjustment comfort mode, Open Sound Control, and changed VRChat's system menus to be grabbable, versus anchored in place. | ||
| + | |||
| + | From then on, VRChat's Community Team also increased transparency of VRChat's development roadmap by committing to publishing weekly, then eventually fortnightly, '''[https://ask.vrchat.com/c/official/dev-updates/ Developer Updates]''', where VRChat publicly compiles a list of several features, bug fixes, and upcoming events that are in the works, and behind the scene at VRChat. Prior to July 2022, Developer Updates were scarce and published biannually or annually. VRChat today still utilizes Easy Anti-Cheat, however, and has since been very effective at illicit mods from altering the program. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 149: | Line 237: | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| − | |||
* [[SecondLife]] | * [[SecondLife]] | ||
* [[Avatar]] | * [[Avatar]] | ||
| + | * [[Online furry conventions]] | ||
| + | * [[W:Proteus effect|Proteus effect]] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
| + | |||
| + | * ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDhHp6UA_Q Strange Furry Species in VRCHAT]'' - [[Tahvo]], [[YouTube]] (July 7, 2023) | ||
=== Media === | === Media === | ||
* [https://www.inputmag.com/gaming/how-furries-are-making-virtual-reality-worth-visiting ''How furries are making virtual reality actually worth visiting''] article on [https://www.inputmag.com/ INPUT] magazine | * [https://www.inputmag.com/gaming/how-furries-are-making-virtual-reality-worth-visiting ''How furries are making virtual reality actually worth visiting''] article on [https://www.inputmag.com/ INPUT] magazine | ||
| + | * [https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/11/9/21557029/four-seasons-total-landscaping-furries-vrchat-trump ''Four Seasons Total Landscaping becomes a VRChat hangout for furries''] article on [https://www.theverge.com/ The Verge] | ||
| + | * [https://www.gamesradar.com/while-meta-is-still-working-on-introducing-legs-vrchat-has-finger-tracking-technology-so-that-sign-language-can-be-used/ ''VRChat gets finger tracking good enough for sign language''] article on [https://www.gamesradar.com/ GamesRadar] | ||
[[Category:Graphical virtual worlds and chat systems]] | [[Category:Graphical virtual worlds and chat systems]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:29, 26 April 2024
|
This article needs to be wikified (formatted according to the Furry Book of Style). For specifics, check the edit history and talk page. Consult the Furry Book of Style for editing help. |
| VRChat | |
|---|---|
| |
| Subject | VR, general/multi-genre |
| Website | |
| Operator(s) | VRChat, Inc. |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Ran from/to | January 16, 2014 - present |
VRChat is an online virtual world (metaverse) created with the Unity game engine, consisting of thousands of user-generated worlds of various genres and environments that are populated by player avatars which can be acquired through the process of either creating an avatar from scratch and uploading it, purchasing a pre-made avatar from another creator and privately uploading it to your account; or by interacting with a free avatar pedestal within VRChat, which will transform the user into the avatar displayed.
Contents
History[edit]
VRChat was created by Graham Gaylor while he was a student at Vanderbilt University, and originally served as a forum for users to discuss virtual reality. It first launched on Microsoft Windows and Oculus Rift on January 16, 2014. It was later released on Steam in 2017, which gave non-Oculus VR users accessibility for the first time. VRChat was released on the Oculus Quest series of headsets starting in 2019, and an ongoing beta version for mobile Android systems starting in 2023 by running a similar version used by the Meta Quest.
Hardware[edit]
VRChat currently supports all Oculus and Meta headsets, minus Oculus Go, and Oculus Quest 1 being formerly supported via the Meta Store; PICO 4 via the PICO Store, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and any PCVR-compatible headset that can operate SteamVR, such as the Valve Index or most HTC and Pimax headsets. Desktop users can access VRChat via Steam, without the need for SteamVR. VRChat is currently developing for mobile Android smartphones and tablets using Android 10 or newer to access VRChat through Google Play.
Despite that the platform is called VRChat, it is not a requirement to own a VR headset or head-mounted display (HMD) to play. Unfortunately, users playing without a VR headset do not have the advantage of manually moving their appendages. They can only use one hand when interacting with an object by using the mouse. Few content in worlds are exclusively manageable by those playing in virtual reality which requires two hands, but this is a case-by-case basis and sometimes not intentional.
Notably, it also supports optional full-body humanoid avatar tracking via 'base station' sensors compatible with Vive Trackers and Tundra Trackers, Wi-Fi connected gyroscope trackers such as owoTrack, SlimeVR and Sony mocopi, or tracking with webcam modules such as Xbox Kinect. You can also utilize Open Sound Control (OSC) applications to apply external gadgets to an avatar, such as haptics, eye tracking, mouth tracking, or heart rate monitors.
Minimum requirement and other OSes[edit]
For personal computers, VRChat supports Windows OS 8.1 to Windows 11 with an Intel® i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 equivalent or greater, a minimum of 4GB RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 970/AMD Radeon™ R9 290 equivalent or greater, a broadband Internet connection, and a minimum of 21.5GB of storage (~1.5GB for application, remaining for content cache). On smart devices, Android 10 or newer is required with 6GB of RAM or greater, and can be accessed either via broadband Internet, or 4G/5G cellular towers.
Apple computers® and MacOS, are not officially supported, but was formerly possible to access by using Steam on a virtualized environment (i.e Parallels Desktop with Windows 11). This workaround became unusable when anti-cheat measures were installed in 2022. VRChat plans to eventually expand to iOS platforms in the distant future.
Gameplay[edit]
When the player begins VRChat for the first time, they take the form of a VRChat-approved avatar. Upon loading into their home world, the player has complete freedom on where to go next, what to do, and who to talk to. Naturally, first-time users will want to find an avatar world, a user-created world with a collection of many free-to-use avatars to take the form of, including but not limited to anthropomorphic animals and kemonomimi avatars.
The types of worlds created by users range from fantasy, games, dance clubs, personal worlds and homes, and real-world recreations, although not officially categorized. In the World tab in the VRChat menu, players can favorite a world to have in a personal list to visit later, or they can set the world as their personal home which allows the user to load into the world by default any time they start up VRChat.
There are many public and private environments of all genres that the player can explore. You may also create and join various community groups to meet other users with mutual interests. Players can choose to join a public instance, or create a private instance to be alone or invite friends after adding them. The type of privacy of created instances is up to the player, and follows under the various tiers:
- Public - Anyone can join
- Friends+ - Your friends, and their friends, and so on can join
- Friends - Only your friends may join; friends of friends are excluded
- Invite+ - Players and friends of players must request to join your instance, unless you or an invited user's social status is set to "Join Me"
- Invite - Players must send a join request to join you, unless your social status is set to "Join Me"; friends of friends are excluded
- Group - An instance that only members of a group, or specific roles within that group can access.
- Group+ - An instance hosted by a group, in which friends of group members, friends of their friends, and so on, can join. Group+ instances may have appointed group moderators to manage an instance. Being a member of the hosting group is not required to join the instance.
- Group Public - A publicly listed instance, hosted by a group, to which anyone can join. Group Public instances may have appointed group moderators to manage an instance.
VRChat users have the ability to open the Quick Menu and click on another player that brings open a separate Player Menu that can allow the player to add them as a friend, mute their microphone, hide their avatar, or block them completely. It also allows a button to show the stats of the avatar that they are using, and show the avatar's publisher. Players can also filter the optimization of player ranks through the Safety tab of the menu, which can automatically adjust VRChat's performance via toggling or limited user Trust ranks, or by avatar performance ranking. It can allow a user to filter audio, avatars, particles, shaders, interactions, and sounds that an avatar emits.
Many worlds include the use of mirrors, which the player can toggle on or off to look at a reflection of their avatar or other users standing nearby. Mirrors are popular within VRChat, as one who uses an avatar can become more psychologically attached to their virtual body by looking at a reflection of their avatar via Proteus effect. Some users will interact with mirrors with the intention of developing or improving "phantom sense", or taking time to further find ways to express their identity. Cliques of users commonly dubbed mirror-dwellers, are joked about within the VRChat community, as they may only stare in mirrors with their friends in isolated instances, and refuse to do anything productive. Mirrors are a default asset of the software development kit for VRChat, which is why it is abundant to find mirrors in many worlds.
Trust ranks[edit]
The Trust rank system is a system exclusive to VRChat. Trust is earned through spending time on the platform, adding friends, uploading content (avatars, worlds), and having users experience your uploaded content. It is possible to lose trust on your account, which can happen from getting blocked by users, being reported, and/or unfriending, or being unfriended by multiple users at once, as well as breaking articles within VRChat's Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. It's theorized that numerous social infractions within a short period of time can result in an automatic de-rank, but it's possible to rank up again over time. Players who are on a VRChat account (not Steam or Meta account), and are within the New User rank or greater will be granted the privilege to upload avatars and worlds to VRChat; this is done to prevent spam. Otherwise, Trust ranks do not affect anything that the player accesses on the platform. You can tell the Trust rank of a user by opening the Quick Menu and looking at the user's nameplate, with white being brand new to VRChat, and purple being a seasoned user. The various tiers of the Trust rank are as follows:
Normal Ranks
- Visitor (white) - The default rank of every user beginning VRChat for the first time. It is estimated a Visitor has approximately less than twelve hours of time spent on VRChat.
- New User (blue) - At this rank, players with VRChat accounts will have the ability to upload worlds and avatars as long as they have a compatible version of Unity and VRChat Creator Companion.
- User (green) - Known and Trusted users may be hiding as this rank.
- Known User (orange) - People who have this rank or higher can mask their rank to show as a User (green).
- Trusted User (purple) - This is the highest visible rank to achieve in VRChat at this time. It's estimated that this rank can be achieved by being logged on frequently for at least a year, uploading content, and/or adding dozens of friends.
Other Ranks
- Nuisance (white) - A negative rank lower than a Visitor. Users under this rank are automatically muted, and their avatar hidden by everyone. You may choose to manually unhide or unmute a Nuisance user at your own risk. This rank can be achieved by being muted, blocked, and/or reported multiple times in a short time span as a Visitor or New User, or violating major VRChat Terms of Service or Community Guidelines policies at any rank. It is possible to go back from Nuisance to Visitor, but your account will permanently have a 'troll' tag.
- VRChat Team (red) - This rank is for official executives, moderators, administrators, and developers of VRChat. However, the current VRChat UI only shows staff as Trusted users to everyone within the platform. You can check for a red tag via API tools, or the VRChat website. Most staff members frequent their personal accounts, which do not have administrative privileges.
Groups[edit]
One of VRChat's features involves the creation and involvement of Groups. With an active VRChat Plus subscription, a user can create up to five groups that can contain up to 100,000 users each. Maintaining a VRChat Plus subscription is not necessary for keeping groups that you create, but it is required for group creation, changing pictures and banners, and transferring the group to another user if desired. Any user can join up to 100 different groups (VRChat Plus subscribers are able to join up to 200), and 'represent' (or display) one group banner over their nameplate at a time.
Group creation can be done several different ways. Creators of groups can choose different forms of group visibility:
- Visible - public; can be displayed by anyone
- Friends Only
- Hidden - by invite only; no representation
Group joinability is sorted by public (users can join on demand), request to join, or via invitation only. A group name, description, and rules can be shown on the Group's front page, along with a 'shortcode' for users to share and search, a string of up to six chosen alphanumeric characters, followed by four randomly generated digits. This is designed so that group names aren't unique, and two groups can share the same name (e.g. WIKIFR.2005). Different group roles can be created, which have different permissions, such as making group announcements that display on your HUD, editing the group's photo gallery, and kicking or banishing users from the group.
Since the implementation of Groups, there have been several niche furry communities publicly available to join.
Premium Features[edit]
VRChat is funded by VRChat Plus subscribers, sponsored events such as Furality Online Xperience, and through its own Creator Economy[1]. VRChat users have the option to support the platform directly by subscribing to VRChat Plus for $10 USD per month, or $100 USD per year.
VRChat Plus includes access to do the following:
- Be able to save and favorite up to 300 avatars, versus the standard 50.
- Join 200 groups, versus the standard 100.
- Create five VRChat groups, which are permanent (even if your subscription lapses).
- VRCat, one of VRChat's mascots, hangs out on your Quick Menu, and states tips and phrases when clicked on.
- Ability to change your Quick Menu, and Main Menu backgrounds to "parallax" layered, stereoscopic art.
- Redesign the User Interface colors with your own choice of pallette.
- A one-time boost to your Trust rank applied to your account.
- Gain exclusive access to the VRChat Creator Economy, allowing for creator monetization.
- Access to utilize your personal gallery, allowing you to also...
- Customize your profile picture.
- Have an icon next to your nameplate.
- Upload pictures to group galleries.
- Attach photos to your invite requests and responses, to friends.
- Create up to 9 static or animated emojis or GIFs, in customizable shapes and animations.
Users also have the option to support other community members or creators by purchasing and giving VRChat Credits, or VRC Credits (identified with a "\V" symbol); the current credit-to-dollar ratio being 120 credits per USD. Any user can purchase and make transactions with credits, but a user must enroll to VRChat's Creator Program to earn VR Credits from their works by meeting certain requirements. Credits that are earned by being a creator can be repurposed into supporting other VRChat community members, or save up credits for a payout.
The only current method to spend VRC Credits is by subscribing monthly to a group, or world creator via the Group Menu, or kiosks within worlds. One time purchases will eventually be implemented to easily manage funds, and 'tipping' individual users directly is also planned. The Creator Economy is still a work in progress as of March 2024.
VRChat and furry[edit]
Furries have slowly flourished within the social platform since the beginning, and created several communities within the platform, evolving to the point where sponsored and unofficial online furry conventions have been held within VRChat with its various pros and cons in comparison to in-person attendance at a convention. Popularity with users who are furries in VRChat, and virtual reality technology in general, has spiked among the furry fandom exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
A market for 3D avatars and fursona models have grown with the popularity of users interacting with VRChat. There is a debate that avatars are a great alternative for fursuiting. Pros being that they are cheaper, more dexterous, and will not break and wear out over time. It is also a great way for a furry to become psychologically more attached to expressing their identity or fursona. Props that are generally not permitted at a furry convention, such as swords, can be brought to a virtual convention or furmeet since it won't do any bodily harm.
Japan Meeting of Furries was the first to ever implement a furry convention in virtual reality.[2]The JMOF team re-created a virtual rendition of the Loisir Hotel in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. While the first event was mostly attended by Japanese users, people who spoke other languages were free to attend. Gimmicks of the event included a two-way livestream of attendees at the physical convention while streaming the VR Lounge at the convention in person, demonstrating one of the first examples of a hybrid convention.
Furality Online Xperience is the first furry convention to officially partner with VRChat, and is the first virtual reality furry convention to operate without a pre-existing venue, as well as an online furry convention with the most venues, being one of the only active furry conventions in the history of the fandom to once operate bi-annually. They have since achieved status of being the most attended furry event in 2023.
There are also several members of the VRChat development team who openly identify as furries, and most non-furry staff members are quite accepting of them, also going as far as to attending Furality Online Xperience. VRChat often showcases furry content in official promotions, avatars, and behind-the-scenes updates.
Notable furry worlds and communities[edit]
Worlds
- FurHub (FURHUB.9442) - An ongoing project to update a lobby that is a hub containing relevant art and avatars, and portals to worlds all created by people within the fandom.
- Furry Talk and Chill (FTAC.1360) - A popular, low-poly hangout for furries optimized for Meta Quest systems. Notably, a world with frequent world moderators that keep out trolls.
- Furry Karaoke (SING.1711)
- FurLounge
- Furry Hideout (HIDE.4323)
Communities
- TailBass (TAILB.5595) - A dance coordination group that tries to have live furry DJs play in VRChat. They are the masterminds behind Hex Furryfest, also formerly working with Megaplex Online.
- KEMO CLUB - A kemono dance community based out of Japan, hosted by popular v-tuber, Sorami. They focus on event-organizing and hosting dance parties for holidays and special occasions.
- Shiba Squad (SHIBAS.4899) - A group centered around VRChat content creator Pikapetey's shiba inu base model.
- Team Taidum (TAIDUM.1923) - A group centered around the Taidum original species created by Irix.
- Best Boi (BBOIS.6342) - A group with interest on a free base model and a species called Foxdragons, with a community based usually around group meetups and friendship. The community has had several iterations, with the current community being lead by Rustydustyfox
- Furgatory/Club Nargacrewga - An expanding community and hub created by Nyinxie. Developed by multiple communities ranging from fans of Nargacuga, Wickerbeast, and Avali avatars and communities.[3]
Conventions held in VRChat (A-Z)[edit]
| Name | Dates |
|---|---|
| AnthrocOnline | July 3-5, 2020; July 2-4, 2021 |
| AnthroExpo | April 10-11, 2021 |
| Anthro Northwest | Multiple; first iteration December 26, 2020 |
| Blue Ridge Furfare | Multiple; first iteration March 12-14, 2021 |
| Confuror | Multiple; first iteration Oct. 9-11, 2020 |
| CozyCon | Multiple; first iteration Sept. 2020 |
| Furcation | November 6-8, 2020 |
| Furpocalypse | Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2020 |
| Further Confusion | January 15-18, 2021 |
| Fur Squared | February 26-28, 2021 |
| Furnal Equinox | Multiple; first iteration March 19-21, 2021 |
| Furality Online Xperience | Multiple; first iteration May 22-24, 2020[4] |
| Furrydelphia Virtualcon | August 14-16, 2020 |
| Furry Migration Online | Dec. 31, 2020-Jan. 1, 2021 |
| Furry Weekend At-Home | May 7-8, 2021 |
| FVRUM | December 18, 2021 [5] |
| Hex Furryfest | Multiple; first iteration July 17-19, 2020 |
| IndyFurCon Live! | August 28-30, 2020 |
| Infurnity Online | Multiple; first iteration October 29-31, 2020 |
| Japan Meeting of Furries[6] | Multiple; first iteration Oct. 2019 |
| Little Island Furcon | Multiple; first iteration November 13, 2021 |
| Megaplex Online[7] | August 21-23, 2020 |
| OwOmaCon | October 24-25, 2020 |
| Texas Furry Fiesta | March 26-28, 2021 |
| The Energetic Convention (T.E.C.) | Multiple; first iteration Oct. 25-31, 2020 |
| Vancoufur - EvfurQuest Online | Multiple; first iteration March 6-8, 2021 |
| VirtualFurence | August 21-23, 2020[8] |
Criticism[edit]
Multiple users have openly criticized the optimization of VRChat since its inception, citing that VRChat in the past, has relied on unstable and outdated versions of the Unity game engine with claims that only one core of a computer's CPU are being utilized. The developers of VRChat have countered this statement, noting that VRChat have been running on multiple cores since Unity 5.6. Users have the freedom to upload avatars with realistic capabilities not before seen in social platforms and games by adding assets to their avatars such as shaders, which are a light filter for various effects on avatars or objects; physics bones, often referred to as "jiggle physics" which allow an avatar's skeletal structure to move fluidly on parts such as hair, ears, tails, and breasts; particles, which can emit glowing lights scattered on either concentrated parts of the avatar or free-flowing. Adding many of these assets on a single avatar can possibly affect the VRChat's performance for users, especially if they have a lower-end computer or on a Meta Quest HMD.
Users have complained and worried about crasher avatars (less referred to as clappers), which is a loophole performed by malicious players which can allow an avatar to have an unpermitted amount of particles, meshes, and/or shaders, which can cause a serial or radius of users upon that user's will to crash or lag due to the engine's incapability to process that many effects at once. VRChat takes crashers seriously, and constantly punishes both uploaders and users of these avatars. Similarly, bot accounts were once used to manipulate and crash instances. To counter this, VRChat added a captcha system within the platform, and upon signup to reduce the amount of bot-related incidents. VRChat planned to reduce the maximum file size for any and all uploaded avatars to 200MB compressed in download size; 500MB decompressed in VRAM, in July 2024.
Players using malicious modified clients, or cheats, can steal ("rip") a victim's private avatar(s) through acquisition of avatar IDs. Though this occurrence is extremely rare, and VRChat's official staff actively combats this from happening. More often, there have been cases of users re-distributing avatars ("base models") that are paid for through third-party websites such as BOOTH, Gumroad, or Patreon; this method is unfortunately more common, and are not easy to trace. VRChat does not currently have any methods implemented to verify the legitimate purchase of an avatar by a user.
In July 2022, VRChat introduced Epic Games' Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) program to disable widespread illicit modding of VRChat clients. The introduction of Easy Anti-Cheat created explosive backlash from a majority of users for several reasons, such as modifications claiming to solve problems, bugs, or add features that VRChat did not have the ability to cover at the time. Easy Anti-Cheat also prevents other games or programs that use EAC detection to be unplayable during a VRChat session. As a result, a minority of users, some of that minority permanently, moved to rival platforms, such as ChilloutVR, and Resonite (formerly known as 'NeosVR'). In response, VRChat's development team expedited new features to help ease users by introducing accessibility options, such as user chatboxes for mute users, accessibility for people with color blindness and/or color vision deficiencies, Horizon Adjustment comfort mode, Open Sound Control, and changed VRChat's system menus to be grabbable, versus anchored in place.
From then on, VRChat's Community Team also increased transparency of VRChat's development roadmap by committing to publishing weekly, then eventually fortnightly, Developer Updates, where VRChat publicly compiles a list of several features, bug fixes, and upcoming events that are in the works, and behind the scene at VRChat. Prior to July 2022, Developer Updates were scarce and published biannually or annually. VRChat today still utilizes Easy Anti-Cheat, however, and has since been very effective at illicit mods from altering the program.
References[edit]
- ↑ VRChat Launches Creator Economy via Paid Subscriptions Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ↑ JMoF VR Announcement
- ↑ Furgatory Twitter Announcement
- ↑ Furality.org official convention website. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ↑ FURs Upon Malaysia (FURUM) Twitter, posted November 2, 2021.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/JMoF_en/status/1214178543661285378
- ↑ Megaplex Online's website
- ↑ Twitter announcement
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- Strange Furry Species in VRCHAT - Tahvo, YouTube (July 7, 2023)