Build Infinite Worlds.
Together.
The open-source VR engine for persistent, interconnected universes — built in Rust.
Our Vision
Imagine an interconnected universe of virtual worlds — where creators build persistent environments that seamlessly link together, players carry their identity and assets across boundaries, and the entire platform runs on open, community-driven technology. Aether is the engine that makes this vision real: modular, performant, and free for everyone to use, extend, and shape.
Key Features
Rust-Native Safety
Zero GC pauses, memory safety by default. Built for VR's < 20ms latency budget.
26 Modular Crates
Use what you need, swap what you don't. Every subsystem is a self-contained crate.
Multiplayer-First
Server-authoritative networking with QUIC, delta compression, and interest management.
Creator Tools
Visual node-graph scripting, terrain editors, Lua & WASM runtimes — no engine fork needed.
Social VR
Avatars, friend graphs, voice chat, economies, and UGC pipelines as core features.
Sandboxed & Safe
WASM sandboxes, anti-cheat validation, content moderation, and GDPR compliance built in.
Modular Architecture
6 domain groups, 26 self-contained crates. Use what you need, swap what you don't.
Core Engine
Scripting
World & Networking
Social & Economy
Platform & Infra
Safety & Compliance
How Aether Compares
| Feature | Aether | Unity | Unreal | VRChat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VR-First | Core | Addon | Addon | Yes |
| Massive Multiplayer | 1000+ | Third-party | Third-party | ~80 |
| Server-Authoritative | Yes | Manual | Manual | Partial |
| WASM Sandboxing | Yes | No | No | Limited |
| Built-in Economy | Yes | No | No | No |
| Open Source | Yes | No | Source-available | No |
Roadmap
Phase 1: Foundation
Q2–Q4 2026
~70% complete
- Core engine & renderer
- Physics & audio subsystems
- Basic networking (QUIC)
- Scripting (Lua + WASM)
- Single-world demo
Phase 2: Multiplayer
Q1–Q3 2027
- Server-authoritative networking
- Interest management & LOD
- Delta compression
- 1000+ concurrent players
- World persistence
Phase 3: Platform
Q3 2027–Q2 2028
- Creator marketplace
- Economy system
- Social features & voice
- Content moderation
- Avatar system v2
Phase 4: Scale
Q2–Q4 2028
- World-to-world portals
- Federation protocol
- Mobile VR support
- Enterprise features
- Public launch
Get Started
# Clone and build
$ git clone https://github.com/rhoninl/Aether.git
$ cd aether
$ cargo build --release
# Run the integrated demo
$ cargo run --example single-world-demo