Microsoft Still Sees a Future in Virtual Reality-Enhanced Workspaces

Even as the industry shifts focus towards AI development, Microsoft is holding onto 3D VR-workspaces with its recently announced Mesh for Teams — a collaboration feature that aims to bring 3D virtual meetings to hybrid and distributed workers.

Discussions related to the Metaverse and virtual reality (VR) meeting rooms have been quietly fading from the spotlight due to the tech industry’s new focus on artificial intelligence. However, Microsoft is still showing an interest by continuing to invest in and develop the tech, claiming that it still has a place in the future of work.

The company’s newly announced feature called “Mesh” for its Teams platform aims to blend virtual meetings with 3D immersive experiences. The new feature allows users to interact with 3D avatars of colleagues in a virtual environment either on a PC or by using a Meta Quest VR headset. The feature is specifically targeting hybrid workers and geographically distributed organizations worldwide.

According to Microsoft’s official blog, “Mesh in Teams elevates engagement in Teams meeting with ready-made 3D immersive spaces crafted to suit your needs, whether it’s a team social gathering, brainstorming session, or a round-table discussion.”

Microsoft boasts that companies including bp, Accenture, Takeda, and Mercy Ships are already using Mesh.

As remote and hybrid work becomes more common around the world, technologies like Mesh could offer a unique way to maintain personal connections and build company culture in a digital-first work environment. This could be the reason why there’s still investment in this field. Other tech companies including Google and Meta are doubling down on the future of work by investing not only in similar collaborative tools, but they’ve also dramatically shifted focus towards AI, which has led to a rise in industry-wide layoffs.

Collaborative VR spaces could be particularly appealing to younger, digitally native employees like Gen Z. It also represents a step towards integrating virtual reality technology into everyday work practices. The announcement by Microsoft shows how, although tech is shifting priorities to develop and advance AI solutions, the industry is still holding onto its investments into VR-technologies and how it can be integrated into the digital-first workforce.