VR Platforms: The Future of Social Media?

Since Meta VR ‘Horizon Worlds’ was released, people compare it to Roblox, VRChat, and similar platforms. Critics point out problems with performance, visual experience, and the overall feeling of safety. However, there is a more interesting question: will VR social apps be our future?

Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

Let’s start with the features that were trending on some popular social media apps during 2020–2021.

Source: https://exceed-team.com

You say that one of these trends didn’t survive as expected. Voice-only communication turned out to be a short-lived toy to play with: Clubhouse is forgotten, Twitter Spaces isn’t really popular. Will virtual reality social platforms face the same fate?

It isn’t fair to jump to conclusions, so why don’t we have another dive into history? We’re looking through a very long list of platform types that were created more than a decade ago and shaped our understanding of what “social media” is.

What Types of Social Media Apps Are with us Today?

Earlier this year, we released a longread on our blog describing different approaches to creating your own social media app. We also presented a chart with 10+ types of such apps and platforms. Let’s look at some highlights.

Relationship networks

• Example: Twitter, Facebook
• Why: Connect people on a personal basis, help build personal brands

Business networks

• Example: LinkedIn, Opportunity
• Why: Focused on business-related or job-related interactions

Media sharing networks

• Example: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
• Why: Users produce and share photos, videos, and more

Content curation networks

• Example: Pinterest, Flipboard
• Why: Users discover, share, save any content

Interest-based networks

• Example: Goodreads, DeviantArt, Soundcloud
• Why: Users find people with shared interests, hobbies, experiences

Consumer review networks

• Example: Yelp, Trip Advisor
• Why: People read and write reviews on products, services, places

Anonymous social networks

• Example: Ask.fm, Whisper
• Why: Aimed at the youth to ask and answer, share content, etc.

Discussion boards

• Example: Quora, Reddit
• Why: Users ask and answer, share experiences or ideas

Blogging platforms

• Example: Medium, Tumblr
• Why: Users create blogs, publish content, search, read, comment

Social gaming platforms and virtual worlds

• Example: Happy Farm, Skyrim
• Why: Connect people in virtuality with avatars, stories, gaming

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

All of these platform types are thriving in 2021 and will probably continue to do so in 2022. So why can’t platforms like Horizon Worlds or VRChat repeat the same kind of success? Everything is possible. We’ll see.

Conclusion: Why VR Social Media May Survive

1. An improved visual experience and fast operation.
2. Cool, diverse, and easy-to-share content.
3. 100% safety from toxic users.