VRChat needs direct messaging system!
FunnyLeos
One of the problems in VRChat right now is how hard it is to get in touch with your friends when you’re not in the same world.
As a VR social platform, it needs more ways to communicate seamlessly inside the game.
Right now, due to the lack of a messaging system, people use invites as a workaround, which is very inconvenient.
Users who play from a desktop can switch into Discord, but for VR users (especially standalone quest users), this is generally a poor experience, which is dragging them out of immersion.
It would be way more convenient if there were an in-game direct chat feature that would be cross-platform between pc, PCVR, Quest, mobile, and on the website.
Given the example of the popular direct messaging apps, you don't need to have your users' data, messages, etc., stored on your servers. It can be stored client-side on the user's devices. (Examples: WhatsApp, Viber)
Why is this important?
First of all, this is both convenient and immersive for players.
This is useful when your friends are in private instances.
This will help people stay in touch on the platform(especially with web integration).
This would be a good way for people to communicate when they don't want to share their other socials due to privacy concerns.
Idea for how the messaging system will operate:
VRChat doesn’t need voice calls or video chats. Simple, reliable text messaging that works between worlds.
There can be a tab in the main menu with existing chats or a user selection where you can start a new chat.
In my opinion, we can limit chat to friends only to eliminate spam. (Or make it customisable as Friends/Friends+/Everyone)
You can also use users' custom emojis/stickers in this chat system, which will make chats even more fun and interactive.
Also, this is a great feature to be able to have Group chat (as in vrchat groups), chat with the group admin, or group chat as a separate feature to add your friends in there.
This feature is crucial and expected for social platforms and will be a GREAT addition to VRChat.
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NOR-U
If it's something personal, Discord is fine, and if it's something long, you can meet in person in VRC. If you're using chat with players in other instances and looking at the overlay so many times that it becomes a hassle, it doesn't have to be VRC.I think VRC should devote resources to being VRC.
It's easy to say it's convenient, but maintaining it is too much of a hassle considering it's not at the core of the VRC experience. If you want to have a conversation with a user on another instance that goes beyond responding to "Can I come and see you now?", it no longer needs to be VRC.
Eliх
This has been requested by thousands of members, but they always say that "Messaging system in VRChat would ruin the whole point of VRChat", which in my opinion makes 0 sense. But yeah, as many requests of the same thing, this post will also probably gonna be merged soon..
AkiraWolf32
Yeah, some of my friends don't like the current way (invite spam) which is understandable.
And some don't have/don't want to link Discord.
Ericbazinga
VRChat's adding Discord account linking so I'm hoping they can add the ability to just message people over Discord if their account is linked. Click on their VRC profile, click on the Discord icon, brings up their Discord profile.
Famic0m
Ericbazinga while that’s great and all they still need to add a standard messaging system that does not require discord so that way in case someone that does not necessarily want their discord account linked can still message people on VRC through the site and client
Cyber_walker
I'm surprised VRC doesn't have the messaging system to this day!
朝Neko
It would be amazing to have that in the game. Even if it supports just text messages, it would be really handy. Though to that, I would say that we will also need an in-game keyboard to support other writing systems and language-specific layouts
Puery
of course its need
garlic princess
Yeah, I think this would be awesome. So many times I had to pull up the Discord overlay just to send a quick message to friends — whether they were in another world or even the same one but on the other side of the map. And overlays don’t always work properly anyway, sometimes they lag or bug out, so an in-game messenger would be way more reliable.
Sure, the in-game keyboard can be kinda clunky, but honestly, the fact that we’d even have messaging at all would make up for that. Plus, it would be super handy for:
*coordinating with friends without spamming invites,
*sending quick “brb” or “on my way” messages,
*and just making VRChat feel less isolating when you get split up.
Pikapetey
I personally would not like the messaging system. Its already too clunky to use in vr keyboard.
If i want to communicate with friends ill pop into the instance and talk with them. And they can reciprocate back to me if they are in vr.
Having a message system in vrchat, and everyone uses it a lot, it will feel like hanging with friends and everyone is staring at their phones. Texting other people.. no thank you.
ExiledNivera
Pikapetey On point of "it will feel like hanging with friends and everyone is staring at their phones." Technically it already is like that except everyone starting at their overlays instead. So not much will change in that regard.
The chat messages idea comes mostly to be able to communicate with friend cross-instance, so in case person don't want or can't get in same instance with you at that moment.
It sounds like a neat feature, but I'm not sure that majority are looking forward for it.
AkiraWolf32
Pikapetey 2 words. Instance. Limits.