Want to build VR worlds but don’t know your way around Unity or Unreal Engine? Voxelus may have the perfect solution for you.
For those that don’t know, Voxelus consists of a set of tools that allow you to create VR environments and make games for them without needing any past knowledge of complicated areas like coding. In the past it required users to have a PC or Mac to actually edit and build these worlds, but today the developer behind the platform is adding in support for in-headset editing. That means you’re now able to shape a pre-made world around you from within either the Oculus Rift or Gear VR.
The new feature is available through the Voxelus Viewer app (which we guess isn’t technically just a viewer app anymore). Added to that app is a building menu that will enable you to place environmental blocks as well as edit maps with the help of other players. It’s not quite the full world building feature, though the developer promises that this is also on its way in the near future.
The viewer itself is free, although certain assets are available for a price, while creators can also sell their worlds too via a marketplace. If you’d rather stick with content creation from scratch on PC, then the Voxelus Creator app is also still available. It allows you to build worlds and then populate them with assets like buildings and enemies. Once your environment has been created, you can explore it with friends online.
In-VR editing is a big step forward for the platform, and one that Voxelus no doubt hopes will be key to help making it the dominant VR world building service out there. That said, it remains to be seen if Voxelus will be able to stand up to some stiff competition; both Unity and Unreal Engine are currently working on their own in-VR editors that simplify the development process and allow you to create environments in minutes. Will the new kid on the block be able to stand up to these giants?
