Breakroom
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| Breakroom | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| VR/AR | VR |
| Developer | MURE VR |
| Publisher | Dark Snow Studios |
| Platform | SteamVR, Oculus Rift (Platform) |
| Device | HTC Vive, Oculus Rift |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Type | Software |
| Genre | Utilities, Early Access, VR |
| Input Device | Keyboard / Mouse, Vive controllers |
| Play Area | Seated, Standing |
| Language | English |
| Release Date | Nov 1, 2016 |
| Price | $7.99 |
| App Store | Steam |
| Website | https://store.steampowered.com/app/431570/?l=english |
| Infobox Updated | 11/21/2016 |
Breakroom is a virtual reality desktop application developed by MURE VR and published by Dark Snow Studios. Released on Steam on 1 November 2016, it places Windows application windows around the user inside a virtual environment. Its original target was a Windows 10 workspace operated with a keyboard and mouse; subsequent updates added curved windows and Vive controller navigation.[1][2][3]
Features
Windows workspace and environments
Breakroom displays Windows applications as separate panels that can be positioned around the user. The store description gives multitasking examples, such as using an image editor alongside a YouTube tutorial. The surrounding environment is selectable, with a beach and Japanese garden among the examples.[1]
The launch instructions describe dragging the translucent panel above or below an application to reposition it. Scrolling while pointing at that panel moves the application nearer or farther away. The Arrange Windows command, under Miscellaneous, arranges applications in a dome. Environments and skyboxes have different rendering costs; the instructions identify simple skyboxes as the least demanding option.[4]
Version 0.10, released on 27 December 2016, added windows whose curvature increases as they move closer to the user. This behavior can be disabled in Preferences. The same release notes describe changes to window contrast and text readability, without reporting a measured readability test.[2]
Background applications and camera
The menu at the upper right of a window can hide it or allow it to keep updating while another application has focus. The launch instructions describe background updating as experimental and demanding on the graphics processor, with testing limited to a few applications, including Chrome, Firefox and VLC. Their Chrome workaround was to disable hardware acceleration; that instruction belongs to the 2016 software and browser versions.[4]
For HTC Vive users, the Early Access description documents enabling the headset's front-facing camera to see the physical keyboard, mouse and hands while using the virtual workspace.[1]
Experimental 360-degree video
The 9 January 2017 update added an experimental 360-degree video mode. The documented workflow starts with a panoramic video playing full screen in a browser or video player. Selecting Play 360 video from the menu beneath its window changes to the surrounding video view; Escape returns to the workspace. The announcement describes using an existing playback application, rather than a separate video-file library inside Breakroom.[3]
Setup instructions
Mouse and keyboard
The launch interface uses a right-click menu for open applications, the Start menu, Windows Explorer, environment selection, Preferences and the tutorial. The Windows key also opens the Start menu in VR. Clicking the mouse wheel recenters the cursor. A developer reply adds that Steam games need to run in windowed mode for use inside Breakroom.[4]
Vive controllers
The January 2017 update documents these controller mappings:[3]
| Vive controller input | Action |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Click |
| Touchpad press | Right-click |
| Touchpad swipe | Scroll |
| Grip button | Access the virtual keyboard |
Support for Oculus Touch had a different history. On 24 February 2017, a developer responding to a version 0.11 bug report explained that only Vive controller support had been implemented. The tutorial's mention of Touch was an error, based on an expectation that it would behave like the Vive controllers. The reply proposed either implementing Touch support or correcting the tutorial in a later update.[5]
Release history and Early Access
| Date | Documented state |
|---|---|
| 1 November 2016 | Steam release as Early Access software. The original questionnaire listed motion controllers and curved screens as future work.[1] |
| 27 December 2016 | Version 0.10 added curved windows, with an option to disable curvature.[2] |
| 9 January 2017 | An update added Vive controller navigation and experimental 360-degree video viewing.[3] |
| 24 February 2017 | A developer clarified that version 0.11 did not have working Touch support despite its tutorial wording.[5] |
The Steam listing checked on 20 October 2026 still classified Breakroom as Early Access software and warned that its developer update information was more than nine years old. The questionnaire's original target of January 2017 for leaving Early Access is a historical plan, rather than a completed-release date. Its feature roadmap also predates the documented controller and curved-window updates.[1]
System requirements
Windows
The published minimum specification is listed below. It describes the legacy Windows desktop application; it is not a test of operation on present-day headsets or software.[1]
| Component | Published minimum |
|---|---|
| Architecture | 64-bit processor and operating system |
| Operating system | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 4590 or greater |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290 or better |
| Storage | 1 GB available space |
| VR support | SteamVR or Oculus PC; keyboard and mouse required |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Breakroom". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/431570/?l=english. Retrieved 2026-10-20.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Update 0.10 - Curved Windows and Various Fixes". Steam Community. 2016-12-27. https://steamcommunity.com/games/431570/announcements/detail/600500712306271893. Retrieved 2026-10-20.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Update January 9th, 2017". Steam Community. 2017-01-09. https://steamcommunity.com/games/431570/announcements/detail/586991182175470513. Retrieved 2026-10-20.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 DredrikTatum; toniheidar (2016-11-01). "Breakroom Technical Elements". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/app/431570/discussions/0/312265782624904639/. Retrieved 2026-10-20.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Steve-Stealth; toniheidar (2017-02-23). "Oculus Touch doesn't work in v0.11 as described in the tutorial". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/app/431570/discussions/2/135509823660874288/. Retrieved 2026-10-20.