Gaming juggernaut Roblox (NYSE:RBLX) is gearing up to launch its immersive digital worlds platform on Sony’s PlayStation devices in October. This strategic move will grant Roblox access to the vast user base of the world’s most popular gaming consoles. Alongside this exciting development, Roblox is set to fully launch its app on Meta’s Quest mixed reality devices this month, following a successful test version release in July, which garnered over a million downloads in just five days, as reported in a company blog post.
Roblox’s expansion plan seeks to make its platform accessible “wherever users seek to engage with it,” spanning mobile, desktop, and the realm of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) devices. Manuel Bronstein, Chief Product Officer at Roblox, expressed his vision, saying, “I wonder if we should be on every TV.”
With a user base of 66 million daily users, predominantly teenagers, Roblox stands as one of the leading gaming services for children. This has drawn significant attention from tech giants like Meta, who are keen on capturing the next generation of users.
Meta’s own “metaverse” service, Horizon, which allows users to gather in virtual spaces represented by avatars, has faced challenges in achieving similar momentum. A Wall Street Journal report from last year revealed that it had fewer than 200,000 monthly users. While Horizon is currently only available in VR, Meta announced plans to release web and mobile versions in the near future, albeit without specifying a date.
During Roblox’s annual developer conference, the company unveiled plans to introduce an AI-powered world-building chatbot by the end of the year. This tool will empower developers to effortlessly generate virtual objects and scenes through voice commands, eliminating the need for coding. The concept closely resembles a tool previewed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg last year, which also relied on voice commands rather than written chats.
Another noteworthy addition to Roblox’s arsenal, scheduled for later this year, is a feature called “Connect.” This technology will enable mobile and desktop users to engage in voice calls with their Roblox friends, with participants represented as avatars. Connect leverages the device’s camera to capture facial expressions and body movements, faithfully translating them into the user’s avatar, providing a more immersive and engaging experience.
Featured Image: Megapixl
Author Faith Yakubu 
