Roblox to Shut Down Video Chat Service
▼ Summary
– Roblox is shutting down its Roblox Connect video calling service, which launched in 2023.
– Roblox Connect allowed users to video chat with others using avatars that mimicked real-life movements in a shared virtual environment.
– The company states that users aged 13 and older predominantly use the Party Voice chat feature for private calls instead.
– Roblox spokesperson Angela Allison confirmed the discontinuation includes both the developer APIs and the Connect feature itself.
– To use Party Voice, a user must have their age verified by Roblox to be 13 or older.
Roblox is pulling the plug on Roblox Connect, the video chat feature it launched in 2023 that let users talk face-to-face through their in-game avatars. The service allowed avatars to mirror real-life movements while users explored shared virtual spaces together. However, the company now says the feature has been largely overshadowed by a more popular alternative.
According to Roblox spokesperson Angela Allison, the shutdown takes effect immediately. “Roblox Connect is being discontinued today, including both the developer-facing APIs and the Roblox Connect feature itself,” she stated. The reasoning is clear: players aged 13 and older are gravitating toward the platform’s Party Voice chat function for private calls. “Users 13 and up predominantly use our more recent Party Voice feature instead to make private voice calls with Trusted Friends on Roblox,” Allison added.
This shift was foreshadowed in a staff post last month announcing the API closures. A Roblox employee noted that Party Voice “handles private voice chat in a way that’s more capable and better suited to how players use Roblox today.” Unlike Connect, which required avatars and shared environments, Party Voice focuses purely on voice communication. To access it, users must have their age verified by Roblox as 13 or older.
When Roblox first unveiled Connect, the company promised to open source the feature for community development. It remains unclear whether that pledge was fulfilled. I have reached out to Roblox for clarification on the open source status, but have not yet received a response.
(Source: The Verge)
