Virtual World platform VRChat is now available in alpha for Android devices, bringing the social VR experience to new platforms. The VRChat Android alpha will first roll out to VRChat Plus subscribers who have the optional paid subscription.
Although all Quest content can be seen on Android, the team says it may not be functional since it was designed for VR. In the future, mobile users will have a ‘Mobile’ tag above them, but in the current build, it might simply display ‘Quest.’
The studio clarifies that they are addressing issues, but currently, switching between cellular service and WiFi will likely result in a lost connection. “We want to be clear that this is an alpha – and we really do mean alpha. There’s a lot of stuff in this release that is absolutely not final,” says the team’s FAQ.
iOS version in the works
In terms of requirements, the studio suggests that mid-range Android phones with a minimum of 6GB RAM and Android OS 10 should work well with VRChat.
“We want the folks jumping in to basically expect an alpha experience. We don’t want to throw this out there for public consumption just yet. When it comes out of alpha, it’ll be available for everyone”
As for iOS, the studio is actively working on that version, and progress is going relatively smoothly, but they’re being cautious as there could be potential challenges ahead, so no official announcements just yet.
The studio is currently focused on gathering as much feedback as it can and making improvements to the mobile build before a public release date is announced.
“We’d like to say sometime this year, but we aren’t committing to any concrete date just yet.”
Users can download VRChat mobile alpha from the Google Play store.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
