$1.6 million raised by MixRift for recreational mixed reality gaming
MixRift, a startup specialising in mixed reality gaming, has secured $1.6 million in funding to develop and publish MR titles. The startup wants to create a game for mixed reality that has the same effect as Angry Birds, giving players a fun, easy-to-use, and immersive gaming experience that is now absent from the XR market.
The funding round, which took about seven weeks to complete, was led by Outsized Ventures and Underline Ventures, with participation from SOSV and angel investors.
Bobby Voicu, CEO of MixRift, noted in an interview with GamesBeat that the team recognised a significant opportunity in mixed reality gaming. He emphasised that the future lies not in VR alone but in the integration of mixed reality and augmented reality. Voicu believes that major gaming platforms also serve as computing platforms, and MR devices, once they evolve into wearable glasses, will represent a new era of computing devices.
Voicu does not foresee these platforms replacing each other but rather layering on top of one another. He anticipates that companies like Apple will eventually release glasses tethered to smartphones, creating a seamless MR experience.
Entering the mixed reality space now positions MixRift to capitalise on future industry growth. Voicu believes the industry is on the verge of a significant wave, and early success in this space will enable companies to grow faster when that wave hits. He also observed that while many people own VR devices, they are not using them extensively.
Voicu explained that when MR devices can sustain small teams with annual revenues of $2 million to $3 million, startups will be able to thrive and develop native mechanics that drive consumer purchases. He mentioned titles like Lego Brick Tales and Dead Cabin as examples of interesting MR games.
The investment will enable MixRift to accelerate the development and publishing of casual mixed reality titles. The launch of headsets such as the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro has increased MR adoption, but despite Meta selling over 20 million Quest headsets, there is still a lack of substantial mixed reality content. There has yet to be a game equivalent to Rocket League in the MR space.
MixRift’s approach focusses on creating games that are easy to pick up yet deeply immersive. The company believes that with wearables functioning as both computing and gaming devices, mixed reality will appeal to a broader audience.
Voicu, a serial entrepreneur and XR influencer, previously launched mobile game studio Mavenhut. He serves as CEO, while Pripas, a gaming influencer and official Meta AR Partner, is the CPO, and Vaduva is the CTO.
Voicu stated that MixRift is at the beginning of exploring what mixed reality can offer gamers. He highlighted the vast untapped market and expressed confidence in the founding team’s ability to create engaging games that attract players, positioning the company uniquely to capitalise on this opportunity.
MixRift plans to use the investment to continue its development and release additional titles later in 2024. The company believes that focussing on game mechanics rather than specific titles will help quickly identify what resonates with audiences.
Currently, MixRift has a team of six and has already launched a couple of games on the Meta Quest Store. These initial releases were mixed reality experiments, and the company is actively testing new ideas.
