Roblox Introduces Voice Chat With 'Spatial Voice' Beta

Roblox is introducing a new voice chat feature called “Spatial Voice,” starting with an invitation-only beta for select developers, the gaming platform announced on Thursday.

“With Spatial Voice, Roblox creators will begin to test developing experiences where conversations can happen in a realistic way, mirroring how we listen and respond to the world around us each day,” Roblox’s chief product officer Manuel Bronstein wrote in a blog post. The feature will likely require users’ avatars to be close to one another in order to hold a conversation, based on the company’s “realistic” approach to in-game voice chat.

According to TechCrunch, Roblox will first roll out the feature to 5,000 developers above the age of 13. The company may never provide voice chat for children on the platform.

“I think we want to take it slowly and we want to learn as we go through it,” Bronstein told the outlet. “We may start, as I mentioned, with the developers. It is likely that right after that, we may go to an audience that is 13 plus and park there for a while until we understand exactly if all the pieces are falling into place before deciding if we ever open it to a younger audience.”

In terms of moderating voice chat conversations, Roblox will allow users to report various issues they encounter. “Our community will be able to self-regulate and flag a user that is not adhering to community standards, and that user may be removed from an experience or lose speaking privileges,” Bronstein wrote in the announcement.

Eligible users will receive a private message on their Roblox account with information on how to participate in the beta. Those with Spatial Voice (Beta) enabled will see a microphone icon next to their username.

In another gaming update, Sony’s upcoming PlayStation Showcase will explore the “future of PS5.”