PatchWorld (PatchXR)
PatchWorld is a VR-first environment for building, performing and sharing music in immersive space, developed by the Swiss creative technology studio PatchXR. It combines modular instrument building, collaborative jamming and world-building into a single workflow, using a system of "Patch Blocks" inspired by Max/MSP, Pure Data and TouchDesigner, all run through the platform's own spatial 3D audio engine, PatchSound. It also reaches beyond the headset: MIDI, OSC and Ableton Link connect it to external production pipelines, and an official Max for Live device bridges PatchWorld directly into Ableton Live.
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history
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PatchWorld was co-created by artist and developer Eduardo Fouilloux together with XR designer Mélodie Mousset, with significant contributions from musician and technologist Gad Baruch Hinkis, working across Denmark, Switzerland and Italy. In the summer of 2020, the team ran an online "Patchathon" as part of Berlin's A MAZE Playful Media festival, inviting musicians and developers to build VR projects on the emerging platform. PatchWorld went on public release in the summer of 2022, and by mid-2023 had added both multiplayer functionality and native Ableton Live integration via a dedicated Max for Live bridge, developments that saw it recognised by outlets including IEEE, the Auggie Awards and Fast Company. It remains available on Meta Quest, Pico and VIVEPORT, with a PC VR and desktop version heading to Steam Early Access.
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