Written by Marc Demar
Somnium Space continues to push boundaries, fostering immersive experiences that blend creativity, community, and cutting-edge technology. During the latest developer meetup, founder and ceo Artur Sychov shared some really interesting details about the upcoming update. The enhancements address key areas like user safety, social connectivity, technical stability, and interface usability. Let’s have a closer look.
Shifting to an 18+ Platform: Prioritizing Safety and Maturity
One of the most significant announcements is Somnium Space’s transition to an exclusively 18+ platform, a move designed to enhance user protection and curate a more mature environment. Age verification will be implemented through Stripe, a trusted payment processor known for its secure identity checks, ensuring compliance without compromising privacy.
Artur outlined two primary motivations behind this shift. First, it underscores a commitment to child protection by preventing underage access to potentially sensitive content within the ecosystem. In an era where digital spaces can expose young users to inappropriate interactions, this proactive stance aligns with broader efforts to safeguard vulnerable groups. Second, it aims to cultivate a “VR platform free of kids,” allowing adult users to engage in unrestricted, sophisticated experiences, whether that’s hosting events, exploring artistic worlds, or participating in discussions and experiences that might not suit younger audiences. This change could open doors for more diverse content creation, from professional networking hubs to adult-themed virtual gatherings, while fostering a sense of community among like-minded individuals.
Seamless Video Calling: Connecting VR Users Across Worlds
Social interaction lies at the heart of any successful platform, and Somnium Space is set to revolutionize this with anytime, anywhere video calling between VR users. This feature will enable effortless communication, regardless of location, whether users are in the same World, jumping between custom environments, or exploring distant virtual realms.
Imagine attending a virtual concert in one World while chatting face-to-face (or avatar-to-avatar) with a friend in another; the update promises to make such scenarios seamless. By integrating high-quality video streams directly into the VR interface, it eliminates the need for external apps or cumbersome switches, enhancing immersion and spontaneity. This could transform collaborative projects, like joint building sessions or impromptu meetups, into more dynamic experiences. It will for sure strengthen the social fabric of Somnium Space.
Bridging Realities: Experimental VR-to-IRL Video Calls
Taking connectivity a step further, Artur discussed an upcoming experimental feature that blurs the lines between virtual and physical worlds: video calls from VR to real-life devices and vice versa. This innovation allows VR users to dial a friend’s mobile phone, where the caller appears in their avatar form within the VR environment, while the VR user sees a live feed of the real-world caller on their screen.
The potential here is nothing short of groundbreaking. Picture a Somnium Space explorer video-calling a non-VR friend during a hike. The VR user witnesses the real-world scenery in immersive detail, while the friend glimpses the virtual adventure unfolding.
Enhanced Networking: Scaling Up for Bigger, Better Experiences
Technical robustness is crucial for any VR platform, and Somnium Space is addressing this with improved networking aimed at boosting stability and capacity. Currently, individual Worlds support up to 150 users, while the base world accommodates around 600. The upcoming upgrades promise to expand these limits, allowing for larger gatherings and improved stability without sacrificing performance.
Advanced World Management: Instances, Gating, Friends-Only, and Paid Access
Building on the platform’s commitment to creator empowerment and user customization, Artur mentioned enhancements to world management, introducing features like World Instances, Gated Worlds, Friends-Only Instances, and Paid Worlds.
These are exiting new features that aim to give users greater control over their virtual spaces, enabling more diverse and secure experiences. The features also unlock new economic avenues by allowing creators to charge entry fees for access to premium content.
It’s worth repeating: if you’re a creator who wants to actually profit from your hard work, Somnium Space is hands-down the best choice right now. Somnium takes just a 10% fee on sales, meaning you keep a full 90% of your earnings. That’s dramatically lower than the fees most other platforms charge. Also, the platform is completely free for everyone to use.
Looking Ahead: A Brighter Future for Somnium Space
Artur’s revelations at the developer meetup paint a picture of a platform that’s not just evolving but thriving, with updates that prioritize safety, innovation, and community. As Somnium Space implements these features (the planned date for the update is December 9, 2025), users can anticipate a more secure, connected, and expansive VR experience. Whether you’re a creator, explorer, or social enthusiast, these changes signal exciting times ahead.
About Somnium Space
Somnium Space, the company behind the VR1, also runs a blockchain-based virtual reality platform that allows users to create, experience, and monetize content and applications. The platform is committed to building a decentralized and immersive VR world that offers users a unique and engaging experience.
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