Mozilla Rolls Out Subscription Tier for Its Hubs Virtual Meeting Space

Mozilla’s first public beta of its Hubs VR meeting place is now open to subscribers for $20 a month.

Introduced in 2018, the WebVR-based platform supports “every single mixed reality headset,” and works with desktop and mobile devices to distribute videos, images, and documents within virtual reality “rooms.”

“Rooms were powerful tools for meeting synchronously and collaborating with groups quickly—just create a room, share the link, and you were in,” Mozilla says. For groups requiring more capabilities and customization, the company added Hubs Cloud tailored for developers.

The new Hubs subscription service is an amalgamation of the two previous forms: Members now get access to a dedicated Hub that can hold up to 25 people, a customizable homepage, unique avatars and themed packs, and the ability to upload videos, documents, and images into rooms.

Interested users can visit hubs.mozilla.com(Opens in a new window) to sign up for the Early Access tier ($20 per month, plus local taxes). Moving forward, the firm expects to introduce a free tier and other subscription options “tailored to different use cases.”

In the meantime, subscribers and Hubs Cloud customers can expect a “significant” admin panel refresh, as well as continued improvements to the developer and artist experience for Hubs.

“Immersive virtual worlds aren’t new. The technology has been around for decades, but it’s only recently that the tools to create these worlds have been made widely available,” the company says. “Here at Mozilla, we see 3D being a big part of the future of the web, which is why we’re continuing on our mission to bring the best parts of face-to-face interactions online through Hubs.”

Since its unveiling four years ago, Hubs has hosted virtual events(Opens in a new window), immersive art galleries, and educational spaces(Opens in a new window). Last month, conceptual artist Ashley Zelinskie collaborated with Hubs on her New York exhibition featuring VR artwork.

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