Texas Immersive Institute at UT Austin Brings Virtual Worlds to Life with HTC VIVERSE

The collaboration empowers students to lead WebXR storytelling with the skills, tools, and confidence to innovate

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Texas Immersive Institute (TXI) at Moody College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin, has completed a semester-long collaboration with HTC VIVERSE, resulting in the creation of seven original virtual worlds that showcase the power of browser-based storytelling using WebXR.

The collaboration marks HTC’s first major academic collaboration using VIVERSE Create, a WebXR platform for designing and exploring 3D environments directly through a browser. Working with VIVERSE prepares students for the future of content creation and immersive storytelling—an industry projected to grow to $39.8 billion by 2032—by providing access to professional 3D tools to hone their skills and give them a head start on their careers.

Over the Spring 2025 semester, five projects emerged from TXI’s Experimental Storytelling course led by Professor Rohitash Rao, while two advanced projects were developed by the TXI Lab team, including Professor Erin Reilly, Program Manager Azalea Laredo, alumni Chris D’avilla, and intern Yu Liu.

“This collaboration has been pivotal not just for student learning, but for expanding TXI’s presence in immersive 3D environments,” said Erin Reilly, TXI’s Founding Director. “One project reimagined our physical lab as a virtual showcase, while another created a learning simulation for the role of Lighting Designer. Both reflect our vision to prototype the future of storytelling, education, and connection.”

HTC VIVERSE Developer Community Manager, Michael Morran, conducted a series of hands-on workshops throughout the semester, guiding the TXI community on publishing and optimization using PlayCanvas, the core engine of VIVERSE Create. “Through this collaboration, we are empowering future designers and creators with the tools and support needed to create immersive 3D virtual experiences,” said Morran. “We’re proud to showcase their work across the global VIVERSE Worlds platform, providing them exposure to our community of innovative creators.”

All worlds are publicly accessible through a virtual gallery on TXI’s website, with behind-the-scenes content and interactive access to each world.

About Texas Immersive Institute

The Texas Immersive Institute’s mission is to create responsible, responsive, and remarkable solutions through the power of immersive storytelling. The program empowers artists, scientists, and humanists with access to cutting-edge technology and research to design experiences that address significant challenges.

https://immersive.moody.utexas.edu/about

About HTC VIVE

HTC VIVE is the premier Extended Reality (XR) platform and ecosystem that creates true-to-life XR experiences for businesses and consumers. The VIVE ecosystem is built around premium XR hardware, software, and content. The VIVE business encompasses best-in-class XR hardware; VIVEPORT platform and app store; VIVE Enterprise Solutions for business customers; VIVE X, a US$100M VR business accelerator; and VIVE ARTS for cultural initiatives. HTC's business also includes the spatial collaboration platforms VIVERSE and VIVERSE for Business, HTC smartphones, the VIVE Mars CamTrack virtual production system, and our G REIGNS 5G connectivity solutions. For more information, please visit www.vive.com

About VIVERSE

VIVERSE is an open and user-centric 3D place that connects people from all walks of life to a boundless virtual world. We strive to empower as many people as possible to explore, work, and play in a safe environment. Every experience is unique, and your transactions and data are secure. VIVERSE provides an array of tools and services for individuals, creators, corporations, and developers to build and explore in this immersive space. Visit the VIVERSE website here: www.viverse.com