With virtual reality becoming popular, designers are coming up with more and more VR options and expanding them to other platforms. They believe VR should transport you anywhere so you can work without barriers.
Immersed VR is one of those platforms. It lets you work solo or with your team in a virtual environment. You can collaborate with your coworkers with different screens and whiteboards.
In this post, we will see what makes Immersed VR so special as well as go over its features and alternatives. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Immersed VR
Immersed is a VR-based workspace and collaboration app. It combines virtual reality with the power of your desktop to create a productivity powerhouse. Since it is wireless, it is the best way to get things down no matter where you are. Moreover, it lets you spawn 5 virtual monitors from your computer without any additional hardware. We would recommend it to anyone interested in doing computer-based work inside virtual reality.
Alternate #1
Virtual Desktop
If you want to work remotely, we suggest you try Virtual Desktop. You can access files through the cloud and work from anywhere you like. You can also customize your desktop, change network settings, deploy new apps, and more.
Alternate #2
Spatial
If you work in teams, Spatial is one of the best immersive meeting and collaboration platforms out there. It can track hand and arm movement, has a special avatar system, and lets you take notes using a pen or even your voice.
Quick Summary of the Main Product
If you’re still confused about what Immersed really is, let us break it down for you.
According to the company, it was created on the belief that people can work from any location in the world, untethered from physical offices and real estate.
It is working towards creating new tools to eliminate barriers to remote work and collaborations.
As we tested out the application, we were able to recreate the intimacy of close collaborations in virtual reality while working in groups. We also tested it out while working independently and it helped us with a more focused experience which boosted the overall productivity.
It is a great way to work in a distraction-free zone for deeper productivity and efficiency. Moreover, it is perfect for people who live in a small space and do not have space for physical monitors.
But, how does it work exactly?
It takes input through hand-tracking or using the Oculus controllers. You can also use a keyboard and mouse for input.
As a result, it allows you to see your virtual hands on the virtual keyboard. This works through a combination of mapping the keyboard in virtual reality space as well as the Oculus Quests’ hand-tracking capability.
Features and Benefits
Different Modes
Immersed VR has two modes that you can work in:
- Solo
- Collaboration
In fact, we think this is its biggest unique selling point.
It also lets you stay logged into the platform during your workday without having to switch accounts if you wish to do solo work.
Private Workspaces
There is an option for a private workspace in solo mode. It lets you hyper-focus for hours on end. Moreover, it lets you create up to 5 virtual monitors.
As a result, you can expand your display settings according to your work without the use of any additional hardware.
Offline Mode
Another unique feature we came across was the offline mode. In this mode, all social media integrations like Facebook and Twitter are turned off.
You still get access to all other collaboration features like voice chat, whiteboard, and screen sharing but you can not access social media. This helps you work better without any distractions.
Prebuilt Virtual Environments
You can also access popular work environments through Immersed VR. It has virtual simulations of coffee shops, offices, and other co-working locations.
What’s more, is that you can also meet your co-workers as you would in the physical world. While testing this feature, we particularly liked the coffee shop simulation to get our work done.
In addition, also hopes to introduce customizable workspaces soon so you can create your place of work according to your preference.
Doorway Portals
We think this is one of the most critical features that make the platform usable for longer periods of time.
Through the doorway portals, you can create portals in several simple shapes for areas you would like to see in the physical world.
For example, we had a doorway for our keyboard, the next room, and our Quest controllers.
Tracked Keyboard Support
Immersed VR also tracks the location of the Apple Magic Keyboard or Logitech K830. It lets you see your hands as you type.
This feature was a huge game changer in how we interact with devices where we no longer need to touch to type. However, without haptic feedback, this was quite difficult to adjust to since it needed muscle memory.
Boosts Productivity
Immersed VR can boost the level of productivity thanks to some of its nifty capabilities. While creating a desktop in VR, it maintains high resolution and lag-free rendering. This allows for an extremely seamless experience.
The premium tier of the platform also lets you define enterprise workflows. This is a great way to give you that little bit of automation that you need for everyday efficiency.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Immersed VR
Price
You can download Immersed for free from the Oculus Store. The free version comes without focus mode, whiteboarding, or customization.
But, if you want more features, we suggest you try its paid tier for a small fee per month or a larger fee per month for teams.
Free trial
If you’re still unsure of its paid tier, you can test out its free trial.
It lets you test out features from the paid tier such as:
- Premium environments
- 4 private collaborators
- Virtual webcam
- Shared whiteboard
- Offline mode
- Remote desktop
- Use 2 computers simultaneously
…and more.
Collaborations
If you want to collaborate with your team, Immersive VR allows more than 4 people to join you in a virtual room. You can also share as many screens as you like no matter what kind of computer you’re using.
In addition, you can access a whiteboard to brainstorm ideas and even write on someone else’s keyboard using VR.
Available Platform
Immersed is an Oculus-exclusive app so it is available on both Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2.
Moreover, it is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Pros and Cons
- Private workspaces
- Collaboration with 4 or more participants
- Offline mode
- Virtual whiteboard to take notes
- Compatible with major platforms
- Can spawn up to 5 desktops
- Only supports the English language
- Working in VR for a long time can get tiring
Social Proof
To understand what people were saying about Immersed VR, we searched the internet for user reviews.
Many users were quite impressed by the app. They used it for remote working or collaborating with their colleagues from different places besides the office.
They were also a fan of the flexibility it provided. Furthermore, it allowed them to save a lot of money and use 5 different screens in virtual reality without the physical hardware.
Here are some of the reviews we found:
Similar to Immersed VR (Recommendations)
#1: Best VR Workspace - Virtual Desktop Review
If you’re someone who works from home but still has some collaborative tasks, we suggest you try the Virtual Desktop. It saves you from looking at a boring screen for hours on end and reduces distractions.
Since Virtual Desktop falls under the Microsoft Azure cloud computing umbrella, it’s a great choice if you use Windows or Microsoft to do your work.
It lets you access your files through the cloud. This is very useful since you can do your work from anywhere you want.
Moreover, it is also a more secure option. None of the work you do stays on a physical computer so you don’t have to worry about it being lost or stolen.
One thing we particularly liked about Virtual Desktop is that it has the same interface as a Windows PC. Therefore, it’s extremely easy to use and you can jump right in once you download it.
But, if you’re still having problems setting it up you can refer to the FAQs section on its official website. For more comprehensive support, you’ll have to purchase a support plan.
Other than work, VD also lets you browse the internet and even stream Netflix. So, you can also utilize it while you’re taking a break.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Virtual Desktop
Price
You can purchase Virtual Desktop on a pay-as-you-go basis.
You will also have to pay for a virtual machine, cloud storage, and networking to connect everything. So, the overall price will depend on your requirements for each of these.
For better value for money, we suggest you have multiple users (such as your colleagues) sharing one Virtual Desktop.
Free Trial
You will be pleased to know that Microsoft Azure offers a 12-month free trial. So, you can test out the platform before you make any financial commitment.
This free trial also includes credits that you can use to cover a short period of VD use if you decide to purchase it.
Collaborations
You can use Virtual Desktop to collaborate with your colleagues and add around 100 users to the platform.
As a matter of fact, the more users you have sharing one Virtual Desktop, the better you can optimize the costs for it.
Available platforms
Virtual Desktop’s compatibility with VR headsets is fairly versatile.
You can connect it to:
- Meta Quest
- Meta Quest 2
- Oculus Go
- Gear VR
- Oculus Rift
- Oculus Rift S
- HTC Vive
- Vive Pro
- Valve Index
…and more.
- Connects 4 computers and allows to switch between them
- Supports PCs and VR headsets
- Supports side-by-side 3D
- Includes microphone passthrough option
- Easy to use
- Secure
- Poor customer support
- Setup can be difficult
Best VR Workspace
The best VR workspace is Virtual Desktop because it is fast, modern and scalable. You can use it to collaborate with your team or work solo without any distractions.
#2: Best VR Workspace for Teams - Spatial Review
If you’re unfamiliar with Spatial, it is an augmented reality platform.
It allows users to turn any room into an immersive virtual reality workspace. Furthermore, you can meet anyone in this infinite workspace and get work done using their collaborative tools.
While testing the platform we were able to create different rooms for specific projects and meetings. Throughout the meetings, it was extremely easy to take notes. We could write them down or use our voice.
We also liked that there was always a presentation surface available in every room. We used it to exhibit documents, videos, images, and other meeting content.
Another unique feature we came across was the Spatial audio. It allowed our team to clearly hear us during the presentation but later allowed us to break into smaller groups and have private conversations.
For this reason, we recommend using this platform for collaborative purposes instead of solo work.
It has an Avatar system that animates everything from the head, arm, and eye movements. This represents a realistic representation of the user in VR as if you’re working with them in real life.
Finally, the account setup was also very easy. All we had to do was take a selfie of our face and Spatial automatically generated an avatar for us.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Spatial
Price
You can purchase Spatial Pro for a small fee per month. It includes features such as live translation, administrative tools, and more.
There is also an Enterprise level account for more advanced features. It gives you access to priority support and customization. The price for this is not listed on the website however, you can contact them if you’re interested.
Free Trial
Spatial does not necessarily offer a free trial for its paid version. But, it has a very generous free account that you can use to experience its richness.
It allows you to add 30 participants for free in VR and another 20 for its web application.
Collaborations
As we mentioned earlier, Spatial VR is equipped with a host of collaboration aid.
You can export 2D and 3D files to your colleagues, share specific apps or entire desktop windows, take notes, and more.
Moreover, all the content that you share is fully searchable, further enhancing the productivity of your team.
Available platforms
Spatial is available on major VR headsets such as Oculus, HoloLens, and Magic Leap. You can also access it on iOS and Android operating systems.
Apart from this, it integrates with many collaborative apps such as Google Drive, OneDrive, and Slack. This means you can refer to your existing workflow without switching between platforms.
- Unique avatar system
- Easy to set up
- Allows freedom of movement
- Offers free account
- Allows you to use webcam
- Compatible with major headsets
- Can cause motion sickness in VR
- Avatars may glitch at times
Best VR Workspace for Teams
The best VR workspace for teams is Spatial because it turns the space around you into a shared virtual workspace. It lets you create meeting rooms, add up to 30 participants, share your screen, brainstorm, and more.
Buyer’s Guide
Price
If you’re new to virtual reality workspaces or not working with a company, you might not have a big budget to work with. Therefore, we do not recommend you buy an expensive platform initially.
Either go with a platform that offers a free account or a one-time payment instead of a monthly one.
Free Trial
It is extremely important to take full advantage of a free trial before you financially commit.
We suggest you go for platforms that offer a free trial for over 30 days. This way you will have ample time to decide if you like the platform and also know exactly what you’ll be paying.
Collaborations
This isn’t a problem if you’re working alone. However, if you’re working with a team opt for a platform that allows easy collaborations and has all the tools necessary.
You do not want to continuously run into interruptions while working in a VR space.
Available Platforms
Finally, check the compatibility of the platform with your VR headset.
Ideally, the platform should be compatible with all major VR headsets and operating systems for a seamless workflow.
Wrapping Things Up
With that, we conclude our review on Immersed VR.
Compared to other ways of online communication, VR workspaces are by far the closest thing to being in the same room as your colleagues.
Overall, we were quite impressed with Immersed VR. It has everything needed to conduct a good meeting. It is designed to be extremely easy and intuitive. Therefore, if you’re working remotely, you should definitely give it a try.
However, if your work mostly revolves around collaborating with your teammates, Spatial might be a better option for you.
Do let us know what you think in the comments below.
