Immersive Spaces in Microsoft Teams will be generally available in January next year, Microsoft has revealed at Ignite.
The virtual reality meetings, powered by Microsoft Mesh, were announced by Microsoft in May to “inject a sense of natural co-presence” during hybrid meetings.
The feature will be available in the Teams ‘view’ menu, letting users transform typical 2D meetings into 3D experiences.
Microsoft Mesh, which lets developers build their own virtual meeting spaces, will also be generally available in January.
Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work, said in a blog post:
“We’re reimagining the way employees come together with Microsoft Mesh in the place where 100s of millions of people work today - Microsoft Teams.”
Immersive Spaces and Mesh will initially be compatible with PCs and Meta Quest headsets.
Key Features of Immersive Spaces and Mesh
Users will partake in the 3D meetings by using either an avatar they’ve already created for 2D Teams meetings or creating a new one. These avatars can be easily customised and will be based in one of the ready-made 3D environments.
Seats can be assigned in table-based environments, while immersive activities will also be available.
Meetings can also feature spatial order and several separate audio zones for simultaneous conversations in one environment.
With Mesh, individuals and organisations will have the ability to create customised immersive spaces that cater to specific business requirements. These spaces can be used for various purposes, such as employee events, training exercises, guided tours, and internal product showcases.
