Which platform is best for virtual events?

For small to mid events with non-VR colleagues: Spatial (browser-first, lowest friction). For Microsoft 365 enterprises: Microsoft Mesh inside Teams. For brand-led mass events to consumers: Fortnite (UEFN) or Roblox have the largest reach.

How much does a metaverse event cost?

Spatial Pro starts at low monthly rates for hosts and scales by features and audience. Microsoft Mesh is bundled with eligible Microsoft 365 enterprise licenses. Custom Fortnite or Roblox brand experiences are agency-built and pricing ranges from low five figures to seven figures depending on scope.

Is Microsoft Mesh still active?

Yes, but it has shifted from standalone product to a Teams-embedded feature. Microsoft positions it as immersive meetings inside the Teams ecosystem rather than a separate consumer destination.

Can I host a Zoom alternative in the metaverse?

Spatial and Microsoft Mesh are the two cleanest Zoom-replacement candidates. Both work without VR for participants. Mesh is best inside an existing Teams deployment. Spatial is best for cross-organization events with attendees outside your domain.

Did Meta close Horizon Workrooms?

Meta Horizon Worlds is shifting to mobile-first as of March 2026, with no new VR games being added. The enterprise Workrooms product saw reduced investment in the same period; treat its long-term status as uncertain and prefer Spatial or Microsoft Mesh for new B2B deployments.

B2B GUIDE · 06 JUN 2026

The metaverse for business and virtual events.

A 2026 buyer's guide for procurement teams and event marketers. Three categories of platform, three different price ranges, three different answers.

Short answer: For small to mid events with non-VR colleagues, pick Spatial. For enterprises already on Microsoft 365, pick Microsoft Mesh inside Teams. For mass-market brand activations aimed at consumers, pick Fortnite (via UEFN) or Roblox. Avoid building net new on Meta Horizon Workrooms in 2026 (Meta is mobile-pivoting). Decentraland is event-capable post-Epic launch but better suited to web3-native brands.

Three use cases, three answers

1. Internal meetings and immersive training

Pick: Microsoft Mesh if you are on Microsoft 365 enterprise, Spatial if you are not. Pivoting Mesh is now embedded in Teams rather than sold standalone, which fits IT procurement neatly. Growing Spatial offers a browser-first hosting flow with no Microsoft dependency. Both work without VR for participants, both support Quest and Vision Pro for those who have headsets, and both have enterprise SSO and admin controls.

2. External virtual events (B2B conferences, sponsor activations)

Pick: Spatial for events under a few thousand attendees, Fortnite (via UEFN) for brand events targeting general consumers, Decentraland for events targeting web3-native audiences. Spatial is the workhorse for "Zoom but with 3D presence". Fortnite UEFN unlocks reach into the existing consumer base but requires creative agency build.

3. Mass-market brand activations

Pick: Fortnite or Roblox. Both have massive existing audiences (Fortnite's MAU is widely cited around 236 million, Roblox at 85.3 million DAU as of February 2025). Brand activations are agency-built on top of the platform. Costs scale from mid five figures for a basic build to seven figures for a global tentpole.

What to avoid in 2026

Net new deployments on Meta Horizon Workrooms. Meta announced in March 2026 that no new VR games would be added to Horizon Worlds. The enterprise side has not received the same scale of investment. Existing deployments still run; new ones should look at Spatial or Mesh instead.
Web3-only event platforms for non-web3 audiences. Wallet-gated entry has killed more than one enterprise pilot. The Sandbox in particular has not recovered the engagement levels needed to justify a corporate event there. Decentraland is more interesting post-Epic launch (31 March 2026), but only if your audience overlaps with the web3-curious.
"Metaverse" as a goal in itself. If the brief is "we need to be in the metaverse", reset the conversation around an actual outcome (training engagement, brand reach, internal collaboration). The platform follows.

Procurement and pricing notes

Spatial. Free for small hosts; Pro and enterprise tiers price by capacity, features and SSO. Negotiable for annual deals.
Microsoft Mesh. Bundled with eligible Microsoft 365 enterprise licenses. Talk to your existing Microsoft account team rather than buying separately.
Fortnite (UEFN). Build cost is the line item. Epic does not charge for the use of the platform; the cost is the creative agency or in-house Unreal team that builds the experience.
Roblox brand activations. Same pattern as Fortnite. Build cost, no platform licence.

Quick recommendation matrix

If you have 30 minutes and need to decide today: use our Platform Matcher, choose "Host events" as your goal, choose your team's primary device, and the result will include Spatial and Microsoft Mesh in most cases. For brand reach use cases, switch the goal to "Watch concerts / shows" and select your audience's device (likely mobile or PC).

For the broader honest assessment of where this category sits in 2026, see is the metaverse dead.

Common questions about metaverse for business

Which platform is best for virtual events?: For small to mid events with non-VR colleagues: Spatial (browser-first, lowest friction). For Microsoft 365 enterprises: Microsoft Mesh inside Teams. For brand-led mass events to consumers: Fortnite (UEFN) or Roblox have the largest reach.
How much does a metaverse event cost?: Spatial Pro starts at low monthly rates for hosts and scales by features and audience. Microsoft Mesh is bundled with eligible Microsoft 365 enterprise licenses. Custom Fortnite or Roblox brand experiences are agency-built and pricing ranges from low five figures to seven figures depending on scope.
Is Microsoft Mesh still active?: Yes, but it has shifted from standalone product to a Teams-embedded feature. Microsoft positions it as immersive meetings inside the Teams ecosystem rather than a separate consumer destination.
Can I host a Zoom alternative in the metaverse?: Spatial and Microsoft Mesh are the two cleanest Zoom-replacement candidates. Both work without VR for participants. Mesh is best inside an existing Teams deployment. Spatial is best for cross-organization events with attendees outside your domain.
Did Meta close Horizon Workrooms?: Meta Horizon Worlds is shifting to mobile-first as of March 2026, with no new VR games being added. The enterprise Workrooms product saw reduced investment in the same period; treat its long-term status as uncertain and prefer Spatial or Microsoft Mesh for new B2B deployments.

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