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VRChat

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VRChat
Information
VR/AR VR
Developer VRChat Inc.
Publisher VRChat Inc.
Platform SteamVR, Oculus Rift (Platform), Meta Horizon OS, PICO OS, Android, IOS
Device HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR, Meta Quest, Pico 4
Operating System Windows, Android, IOS
Type Full Game
Genre Adventure, Casual, Free to Play, Massively Multiplayer, Simulation, Sports, Early Access, VR
Input Device Tracked Motion Controllers, Gamepad, Keyboard / Mouse
Play Area Seated, Standing, Room-Scale
Game Mode Single Player, Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer, Co-Op, Online Co-Op, Cross-Platform Multiplayer
Language English
Version 2026.3.3p2 (build 1921)
Review Mostly Positive
Release Date Feb 1, 2017 (Steam Early Access)
Price Free
App Store Steam, Meta Horizon Store, Viveport, Pico Store, Google Play, App Store
Website https://hello.vrchat.com/
Infobox Updated 10/14/2026

VRChat is a free-to-play online social virtual reality platform developed and published by VRChat Inc., a company founded in 2014 by Graham Gaylor and Jesse Joudrey.[1] Users meet as custom avatars in worlds made by other users, and can join from a PC with or without a SteamVR headset, from standalone Meta Quest and Pico headsets, or from iOS and Android phones.[2] It entered Steam Early Access on 1 February 2017 and is still listed there as an Early Access title as of October 2026; the mobile apps left beta in October 2025.[3][4]

Release 2026.3.3 (build 1919), published on 2 October 2026, moved every player onto a client built with Unity 6, and the patch releases 2026.3.3p1 (build 1920, 5 October) and 2026.3.3p2 (build 1921) followed.[5][6][7] The platform set its concurrent-user record of 156,716 in February 2026, during a virtual concert at the Sanrio Virtual Festival.[8]

Reviewed 14 October 2026. Every claim checked against its cited source (VRChat release notes 2026.3.3 to 2026.4.1 beta, VRChat docs and blog, Road to VR, UploadVR, MIXED, Game Informer, Tubefilter, GameBusiness.jp, pixiv release, Steam and Meta store listings, Crossref records of the CSCW and CHI papers). About review dates.

Gameplay

VRChat has no fixed game of its own. Users move between worlds (shared 3D spaces) and appear as avatars; both are made by users in Unity and uploaded to the service.[9][10] Road to VR described the platform in 2019 as focused on socializing and self-expression, with custom avatars that support full-body tracking on compatible hardware.[9] The Meta Horizon Store listing also names full-body and finger tracking.[11] VRChat has supported players without a headset on PC since its first public builds in 2014, and Road to VR noted in 2020 that the app has both VR and non-VR modes.[4][12]

Players on PC, standalone headsets and phones share the same service, but standalone and phone users can only load worlds and avatars that have a separate mobile-optimized version. UploadVR noted that most PC worlds and avatars are too detailed to run well on mobile chipsets.[13] The Meta Horizon Store lists the app in its Hangout genre with a 12+ age rating and in-app purchases.[11]

History

Origins and Steam Early Access (2014-2018)

Graham Gaylor and Jesse Joudrey founded VRChat in 2014.[1] The app opened on Steam as a free Early Access title on 1 February 2017.[3]

Usage jumped in January 2018, when coverage from YouTubers including PewDiePie, videogamedunkey and Jameskii and from Twitch streamers drew new players. SteamSpy estimated about one million new installs in ten days, and Valve's Steam statistics showed a peak of 20,000 concurrent users on 14 January 2018.[14] Road to VR pointed to the "Ugandan Knuckles" meme, citing a video made by VRChat regular Stahlsby shortly before Christmas 2017 that had more than 8.8 million views.[14] On 9 January 2018 Oculus designer Katie Chironis posted a recording of gendered harassment that included language tied to the meme, and VRChat then published an open letter pledging to deal with "disrespectful or harmful behavior". The letter said a trained moderation team monitored the platform and that tools for community self-moderation were in development, and in the meantime pointed users to Mute/Block, a Mute All toggle and a Moderation Report Form.[15]

Standalone headsets and growth (2019-2022)

VRChat announced in March 2019 that it would come to the Oculus Quest that spring; at the time it was available on Steam for Vive, Rift and desktop users and on the Oculus store for Rift.[16][9] It was included in the 53-title launch lineup that Oculus published for the Quest, which went on sale on 21 May 2019.[17]

Over the Halloween weekend of 2020, the platform reached 24,000 concurrent users, of whom 52% (12,500) were in VR. CEO Graham Gaylor credited the launch of the Quest 2 and the "Spookality" Halloween event. Road to VR reported that VRChat's Steam concurrency had risen from about 8,000 in July 2019 to about 15,500 in July 2020, and that the share of users in VR had grown from about 30% in April 2020 to 43% in October 2020.[12]

VRChat Plus, an optional subscription, launched on Steam in December 2020 in an "Early Supporter" phase, priced at $10 a month or $100 a year. Members received a custom nameplate icon, 100 avatar favorite slots instead of 25, a supporter badge and a higher default trust rating.[18]

In June 2021 VRChat raised an $80 million Series D round led by Anthos Capital, with Makers Fund and GFR Fund participating. Road to VR, citing Crunchbase, put the company's total outside investment at $95.2 million. The company said the money would go toward a creator economy in which members could earn, better social discovery and expansion to more platforms.[19]

In July 2022 VRChat released a security update that added Easy Anti-Cheat and blocked all modified clients. The company said malicious mods had been used to log keystrokes and steal accounts, report users' locations to stalkers, rip avatars and run botnets.[20] Many players objected because mods had supplied accessibility and quality-of-life features, and negative Steam reviews pushed the game's "Recent" review score to 18%. VRChat kept the anti-cheat in place but said it would reprioritize its roadmap.[21] The follow-up plan listed features such as Horizon Adjust for lying down, color-blindness filters, adjustable microphone sensitivity, a movable main menu and personal mirrors.[22]

Creator economy, mobile and layoffs (2023-2025)

In May 2023 VRChat started testing paid creator subscriptions through its Groups system with a small set of US creators.[1] Paid subscriptions entered full release in late 2023. They are bought with VRChat Credits, and UploadVR reported an approximate split of 50% to the creator, 30% to platform fees such as Steam and Meta, and 20% to VRChat and its partners.[23]

An Android alpha opened to VRChat Plus subscribers on 18 August 2023. It required Android 10 and at least 6 GB of RAM.[24] VRChat reached the Pico 4 store in 2023, where it initially required controllers.[13]

In June 2024 Gaylor told employees that VRChat would reduce its team by about 30%. He wrote that the company had not kept up its 2021 growth and had "shrank year over year", while stating that it was "in a good cash position".[25]

An Avatar Marketplace opened in May 2025, letting users try on and buy avatars with Credits inside the app. Its launch catalog included branded avatars such as Quill from Polyarc's Moss series.[10] After an Android open beta in August 2025 and an invite-only iOS beta announced in May 2024, both mobile apps left beta in October 2025. The release requires Android 10 or iOS 17; iOS devices with less than 6 GB of RAM are limited to a companion app that cannot launch worlds.[4]

2026

On New Year's Eve 2025, VRChat broke its concurrent-user record. Head of community Tupper reported peaks of 147,226 at the Eastern time zone midnight and 148,886 at the Central time zone midnight, against normal weekend peaks of 120,000 to 125,000.[26] A weekend of the Sanrio Virtual Festival in February 2026, headlined by a performance of the main character of the Netflix anime Cosmic Princess Kaguya!, then set a new peak of 156,716.[8]

Unity 6 testing moved to an open beta branch in June 2026. The update used Unity version 6000.0.60f1 and did not change the render pipeline, so existing content stayed compatible, but VRChat told creators to keep uploading with Unity 2022.3.22f1 because its servers rejected Unity 6 uploads.[27] MIXED reported that the Quest open beta moved to Unity 6 in September.[6]

On 9 September 2026 VRChat Inc. announced an investment from pixiv Inc., operator of the BOOTH marketplace, without disclosing the amount or stake. The companies planned a beginner world teaching avatar choice and outfit changes for autumn 2026, and pixiv supported VRChat's booth at Tokyo Game Show 2026 (17 to 21 September).[28] pixiv's English release says annual transaction volume in BOOTH's 3D model category exceeds 10 billion yen, and gives VRChat's own figures of an average of 100,000 concurrent daily users and a peak of about 160,000.[29] A VRChat representative told GameBusiness.jp at the show that Japan is VRChat's second-largest market.[30]

VRChat 2026.3.3

Release 2026.3.3 (build 1919) went live on 2 October 2026; MIXED reported that it covered the Steam PC client and the Android and iOS apps.[5][6] According to MIXED, it made the Unity 6 client the default for all players and ended the opt-in beta.[6] VRChat said it had tested the client in closed and open betas and that players "shouldn't notice anything", while warning creators: "Do NOT upgrade your SDK projects to Unity 6. It will not work."[5] The release gave common desktop actions clickable HUD buttons in the top corners of the screen (holding Tab frees the cursor in first person), made the in-app keyboard movable and resizable, and added next-word suggestions based on locally stored typing history, which turn off in Streamer Mode and in PIN or password fields.[5] Other changes included a rebuilt Android and iOS login flow with the mobile shop now live, a news system in the Quick Menu, a Net Tools debug page for world networking and Udon issues, and a "Warn User" button for instance moderators.[5][6] Patch 2026.3.3p1 (build 1920, 5 October) added a grab-lock toggle for the VR keyboard, and 2026.3.3p2 (build 1921) fixed Desktop HUD microphone-icon and double-click issues.[31][7]

Platforms and release

Platform Date Notes
Windows PC 2014 First public builds; non-VR desktop play supported from the start[4]
Steam (Windows, SteamVR and desktop) 1 February 2017 Free Early Access release[3]
Oculus store (Oculus Rift) By March 2019 Listed by Road to VR as an existing platform[9]
Oculus Quest 21 May 2019 In Oculus' 53-title Quest launch lineup[17]
Android 18 August 2023 (alpha); October 2025 (full release) Alpha limited to VRChat Plus subscribers[24][4]
Pico 4 2023 Controllers required at launch[13]
iOS October 2025 Closed beta announced May 2024; iOS 17 or later[4]
Viveport Listed among the official download stores[2]

Creation tools and economy

Worlds and avatars are built in Unity and uploaded by their creators.[9][10] World logic uses Udon, which VRChat describes as "a programming language for VRChat worlds"; scripts can be written in C# through UdonSharp or assembled in the visual Udon Node Graph.[32] As of October 2026, SDK projects remain on Unity 2022.3 even though the client runs on Unity 6.[5][27]

VRChat earns revenue from subscriptions and from a share of in-app item sales.[4] The economy uses VRChat Credits, a premium currency that buys avatars, virtual items, group roles and instances, and paid subscriptions to creators' groups.[10][23] Sellers in the Avatar Marketplace go through the same onboarding as other Creator Economy sellers and submit avatars for manual review; avatars can still be uploaded directly through Unity or sold on outside sites such as BOOTH and Gumroad.[10]

Safety and moderation

VRChat's Trust system assigns each user a rank (named ranks include Visitor, New User, Known User and Trusted) based on factors such as time spent in VRChat. Its Safety System lets each user decide whether others' shaders, loud audio and particle effects are shown, depending on their rank.[33]

Content Gating, introduced in 2023, lets creators label avatars and worlds as sexually suggestive, adult language and themes, graphic violence, excessive gore or extreme horror. Blocked avatars appear as the default robot, and blocked worlds are hidden and cannot be entered. The labels are intended to stay on for users under 18 and are off by default for adults.[34]

Age verification through Persona was announced in November 2024 and opened to adult VRChat Plus subscribers in January 2025. It uses a government ID and a camera; VRChat receives text extracted from the ID rather than images, and apart from the birth date that text is deleted after being hashed. Group instance hosts can restrict entry to verified adults, and verified users can show an optional "Verified 18+" badge.[35] The open beta 2026.4.1 (build 1931, 9 October 2026) added a Safety Center that tells users whether their account is in good standing and, if not, why and what restriction applies; VRChat said it would move toward feature-level restrictions, such as a temporary limit on using certain avatars, instead of account suspensions, and that beta users would only see "Account Standing: Good" while the backend was completed.[36]

Concurrent users

Date Peak concurrent users Notes
14 January 2018 20,000 Steam only, during the viral surge[14]
Halloween weekend 2020 24,000 52% in VR[12]
January 2025 Nearly 67,000 Steam all-time peak per SteamDB, as reported by Road to VR in October 2025 (PC only)[4]
1 January 2026 148,886 New Year's Eve, Central time zone midnight[26]
February 2026 156,716 Sanrio Virtual Festival concert; all-time record as of October 2026[8]

Reception and research

As of 14 October 2026, Steam showed a "Mostly Positive" overall rating across 269,874 user reviews in all languages, and the Meta Horizon Store showed an average of 3.6 from about 37,000 ratings.[3][11]

Researchers have used VRChat's community to study social VR. A 2024 study in Computer Supported Cooperative Work by Qijia Chen, Jie Cai and Giulio Jacucci analyzed posts from the r/VRChat subreddit and concluded that trust ranks, intended to promote positive interaction, can lead to stereotyping and discourage communication between users of different ranks.[37] A CHI 2025 paper by Chen and colleagues studied "mutes", VRChat users who avoid voice chat, through 4,212 posts and comments from the same subreddit, and linked the practice to harassment, social anxiety heightened by immersive presence, and identity management.[38]

Features

Steam store features as listed in October 2026:[3]

System Requirements

Windows

Minimum

Minimum requirements on the Steam store as of October 2026:[3]

  • OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit processor and operating system required)
  • Processor: Intel i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 equivalent or greater
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290 equivalent or greater
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • VR Support: SteamVR

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 James Hale (2023-05-23). "VRChat enters the creator economy". Tubefilter. https://www.tubefilter.com/2023/05/23/vrchat-creator-monetization/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "VRChat". VRChat. VRChat Inc.. https://hello.vrchat.com/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "VRChat on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/438100/VRChat/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Scott Hayden (2025-10-27). "'VRChat' Officially Releases on Android & iOS, Making Way for Next Big User Surge". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-android-ios-release-user-surge/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "VRChat 2026.3.3". VRChat Documentation. VRChat Inc.. 2026-10-02. https://docs.vrchat.com/docs/vrchat-202633. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Chris Steven (2026-10-04). "VRChat 2026.3.3 makes Unity 6 live for players, and creators are told not to follow". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/vrchat-2026-3-3-unity-6-live-players-sdk-warning/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "VRChat 2026.3.3p2". VRChat Documentation. VRChat Inc.. https://docs.vrchat.com/docs/vrchat-202633p2. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Scott Hayden (2026-02-16). "'VRChat' Breaks All-Time Concurrent User Record with Japanese Anime Concert". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-all-time-high-japanese-concert/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Ben Lang (2019-03-28). "Social VR Hits 'Rec Room' and 'VRChat' Coming to Oculus Quest". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/rec-room-and-vrchat-oculus-quest-support-cross-platform-multiplayer/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Scott Hayden (2025-05-15). "'VRChat' Opens New Marketplace for Buying and Selling VR Avatars". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-avatar-marketplace-release-digital-economy/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "VRChat". Meta Horizon Store. Meta Platforms. https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/vrchat/1856672347794301/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ben Lang (2020-11-04). "Spurred by Quest 2 Launch, 'VRChat' Hits Record 24,000 Concurrent Users, More Than Half in VR". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-record-concurrent-users-traffic-quest-2/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 David Heaney (2023-11-09). "VRChat Is Now Available On Pico 4". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/vrchat-pico-4/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Scott Hayden (2018-01-19). "'VRChat' Reaches 2 Million Installs, Doubling in the Last Ten Days". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/vrchat-blasts-past-1-million-installs-amidst-skyrocketing-meme-economy/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  15. ↑ Jamie Feltham (2018-01-11). "VRChat Dev Vows To Address 'Harmful' User Behavior In Open Letter". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/vrchat-dev-vows-address-harmful-users-open-letter/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  16. ↑ Ian Hamilton (2019-03-27). "VRChat Confirms Spring Launch Plans For Oculus Quest". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/vrchat-oculus-quest-plans/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Andrew Reiner (2019-04-30). "Here Is Oculus Quest's Launch Lineup". Game Informer. https://gameinformer.com/2019/04/30/here-is-oculus-quests-launch-lineup. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  18. ↑ Scott Hayden (2020-12-07). "'VRChat' Launches Premium Membership, Now in 'Early Supporter' Phase on Steam". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-plus-membership-early-supporter/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  19. ↑ Scott Hayden (2021-06-28). "'VRChat' Secures $80M Series D Funding to Create its Own Digital Economy". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-80m-series-d-funding/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  20. ↑ "The VRChat Security Update". VRChat Blog. VRChat Inc.. 2022-07-25. https://hello.vrchat.com/blog/vrchat-security-update. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  21. ↑ Ben Lang (2022-07-27). "Community Contempt for 'VRChat' Update Leads Developer to 'reprioritize internal roadmap'". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-security-update-community-reaction-mod-client-eac/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  22. ↑ "Addressing your Feedback". VRChat Blog. VRChat Inc.. 2022-07-27. https://hello.vrchat.com/blog/addressing-your-feedback. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Henry Stockdale (2023-12-06). "VRChat Paid Creator Subscriptions Enter Full Release". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/vr-chat-creators-paid-subscriptions/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Henry Stockdale (2023-08-18). "VRChat Mobile Alpha Now Available On Android". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/vrchat-mobile-alpha-now-available-on/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  25. ↑ Scott Hayden (2024-06-13). "VRChat Lays off 30% of Company, Citing Growing Pains Following COVID Platform Boom". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-lays-off-30-of-company/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Ian Hamilton (2026-01-01). "VRChat Set A New Concurrent User Record On New Year's Eve". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/vrchat-nye-user-record/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Developer Update - 25 June 2026". VRChat Ask Forum. VRChat Inc.. 2026-06-25. https://ask.vrchat.com/t/developer-update-25-june-2026/48618. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  28. ↑ "VRChat Inc.がピクシブからの出資受け入れを発表 ―BOOTHの3Dモデル流通総額100億円超でエコシステム連携へ". GameBusiness.jp. 2026-09-09. https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/09/09/27973.html. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  29. ↑ "pixiv Inc. Invests in VRChat Inc. and Announces Plans to Explore Strategic Collaboration Across 3D Creation". Newswire. pixiv Inc.. 2026-10-06. https://www.newswire.com/news/pixiv-inc-invests-in-vrchat-inc-and-announces-plans-to-explore-22869165. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  30. ↑ Hibiki Takamura (2026-09-29). "VRChat×ピクシブはなぜ連携を深めるのか―TGS初出展で見えたゲーム業界との接点【TGS2026】". GameBusiness.jp. https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/09/29/28164.html. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  31. ↑ "VRChat 2026.3.3p1". VRChat Documentation. VRChat Inc.. 2026-10-05. https://docs.vrchat.com/docs/vrchat-202633p1. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  32. ↑ "Udon". VRChat Creator Documentation. VRChat Inc.. https://creators.vrchat.com/worlds/udon/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  33. ↑ "VRChat Safety and Trust System". VRChat Documentation. VRChat Inc.. https://docs.vrchat.com/docs/vrchat-safety-and-trust-system. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  34. ↑ "Introducing Content Gating". VRChat Blog. VRChat Inc.. https://hello.vrchat.com/blog/content-gating. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  35. ↑ Ian Hamilton (2025-01-29). "VRChat Releases Age Verification For VRC+ Subscribers". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/vrchat-age-verification-announced/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  36. ↑ "VRChat 2026.4.1 (OPEN BETA)". VRChat Documentation. VRChat Inc.. 2026-10-09. https://docs.vrchat.com/docs/vrchat-202641-open-beta. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  37. ↑ Qijia Chen, Jie Cai, Giulio Jacucci (2024). ""People are Way too Obsessed with Rank": Trust System in Social Virtual Reality". Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), vol. 33, no. 4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-024-09498-7. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  38. ↑ Qijia Chen, Andrea Bellucci, Jie Cai, Matti Nelimarkka, Giulio Jacucci (2025). "Understanding "Mutes" in Social Virtual Reality". Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714244. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
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