The Capacity of Virtual Worlds: How Many Users Can They Accommodate?
- The Doodle People
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Quick answer: In most browser-based virtual worlds, you can expect 20–50 people in the same “room” before performance dips. Larger audiences are split into parallel copies of that room (called instancing), often with overflow lobbies and embedded live streams so everyone experiences the same keynote or big moment together. These numbers are ranges, so your exact capacity will depend on scene complexity, devices, and connection quality.
Why capacity isn’t a simple “max number”
In physical venues, more seats mean more people. In virtual worlds, adding people means adding data (avatars, voice, animations, and player actions) all need to be sent to everyone else in the room. That’s why most platforms cap room size to keep the experience smooth for everyone, especially on mobile devices and slower connections.
From experience and platform documentation, here’s what’s typical today:
Spatial - 50 people per room; unlimited rooms via automatic instancing.
VRChat - Up to 80 per room; queues new arrivals until space is available.
Mozilla Hubs - Around 25 per room; extra guests can watch from a “lobby” view.
Gather Town - Up to 500 in one “space” (spread across smaller chat zones).
Virbela Worlds - Large campuses; individual areas range from ~120 people to 550 across the whole campus.
Planning for the “big moment”
A keynote, live announcement, or product reveal is usually when traffic spikes and everyone logs in at once. Without planning, that’s when people see “room full” messages or long load times.
Here’s how to make sure your big moment goes smoothly:
Use instancing - Let the system create extra copies of the room automatically when it fills up.
Embed a livestream - Show the same video feed to every room so all attendees see the moment at the same time.
Design an overflow lobby - Give guests a branded, interactive space to explore while they’re being placed in a room.
Add moderation in each room - Ensure Q&A, polls, or giveaways are handled locally but kept in sync across all instances.
Rehearse with a crowd - Test the join flow, stream, and room changes at least 1 to 2 weeks before.
Capacity by event type
Different events put different demands on capacity. Here’s what’s realistic for each:
Small networking sessions - 20 to 50 in one room; all live voice and free movement.
Workshops or breakout groups - Multiple small rooms, each with 15–30 people.
Keynotes - Hundreds to thousands spread across many instances, all watching the same live video feed while being able to interact with each other.
Open world or expo - Attendees move between many spaces; overall capacity can be in the thousands, but each space still has its own cap.
Why a virtual world beats a livestream for engagement?
If you only want people to watch, a livestream works fine. But when you want interaction (before, during, and after) the room limit doesn’t have to be a drawback:
Before the event - Attendees can mingle, explore, and find seating together in smaller, more intimate spaces.
During the event - Everyone sees the same keynote video, but room sizes keep audio and visuals smooth.
After the event - People can visit booths, network, and extend the event’s value instead of closing a browser window.
Time and budget to set up for capacity
Starter capacity build - 1 room with instancing, lobby, and livestream: S$9k–12k, ~4 weeks (if assets are ready).
Standard build – Multi-room setup with guided navigation and richer 3D: S$12k–50k, 8–12 weeks.
Bespoke build – Fully customised large-event worlds with complex integrations: S$100k+, 20+ weeks.
Browser-based builds are the most cost-effective and accessible. Pixel Streaming can push visual quality higher, but it lowers per-room capacity (often ~5–20 per server) and substantially raises hosting costs.
What can go wrong if you don’t plan capacity
Room overload - Lag, crashes, or guests turned away.
Late joins missing the keynote - Without a lobby or stream sync, arrivals can be out of step.
Inconsistent experiences - If rooms aren’t coordinated, different groups can have different “main moments.”
The fix? Plan the audience flow just like a physical venue (lobby, seating, stage view) then scale it digitally.
Key takeaways for capacity planning
Plan for 20–50 per room in browser-based worlds.
Scale with instancing, not brute force—it keeps performance smooth.
Design for spikes—lobbies, livestreams, and queues keep the moment intact.
Test early—problems in rehearsal are much cheaper than on show day.
Glossary
Instancing – Making multiple copies of a virtual room so more people can join without slowing things down.
WebGL – Runs 3D worlds in your browser without a download.
Pixel streaming – The world runs on a server and is sent to you as a video feed—looks great, but supports fewer people per server.
Need a capacity plan for your next big virtual event?
Book a free 15–30 min consult with our team! We’ll help you design an experience that’s exciting for guests and safe for your biggest moments. Contact us today
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