How Burning Man VR rebuilt after Microsoft shut it down
1 min read
Summary
Big Rock Creative, the firm behind the virtual version of the Burning Man festival, has created its own social VR app after previous platform Altspace was closed by Microsoft as part of its move away from consumer VR.
BurnerSphere provides a virtual Burning Man experience and will be released in beta for VR headsets and desktop PCs in time for the 2026 festival.
Features include access to art showcases, information on artists, and immersive videos, as well as blending digital artifacts with real-life immersive video.
Users enter the festival through a series of interconnected portals that also contain showcases and other features.
The annual $48 “camp fee” pays for the costs associated with running the platform and allows users to gather all year round.