How to Build a Portfolio if Your Virtual Workroom Shuts Down: Alternatives to VR-Only Projects

Lost a VR Workroom? How to salvage and repackage your XR work fast

Feeling panic after Meta’s Workrooms shutdown on February 16, 2026? You’re not alone. Students and interns who built XR projects inside Workrooms are scrambling to preserve everything they created—and to present it in ways employers actually want to see. This guide walks you through immediate triage, practical repackaging tactics, portfolio-ready artifacts, resume language, and 2026 trends that make your work more valuable than ever.

Immediate triage: what to do in the first 72 hours

Start with these fast, high-impact steps so nothing valuable disappears and you don’t waste time on low-value tasks.

1. Back up everything you can access — recordings, screenshots, raw assets, audio, notes, and team documents. Use your local drive and a cloud backup (Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox). For tools that help with offline docs and distributed teams, see our tool roundup: Offline‑First Document Backup and Diagram Tools.
2. Collect evidence of your role — emails, task lists, design documents, commit history, meeting notes, Miro/Jira cards. These prove contribution and are useful for case studies.
3. Capture video immediately — if the live Workroom is gone but you still have access to Quest footage or local recordings, export them. If the app is already closed, capture screen recordings of any desktop mirrors, Unity projects, or team video calls that show the project in action. See our recommended capture and timelapse toolkit: Reviewer Kit: Phone Cameras, PocketDoc Scanners and Timelapse Tools.
4. Talk to teammates and supervisors — clarify who owns the files, request permission to reuse assets, and ask for a reference or LinkedIn recommendation while the project context is fresh.
5. Document scope and limitations — write a one-page summary of what existed: features, platforms, tech stack, your responsibilities, and user testing results.

Why this matters now

Meta discontinued the standalone Workrooms app as Horizon evolved and Reality Labs shifted strategy. With the platform sunset and a broader industry pivot toward wearables and AI-driven devices in late 2025 and early 2026, employers look for skills that translate across hardware and web platforms. Your ability to adapt and repackage shows flexibility and practical competence.

How to export and recover assets

Workrooms’ shutdown doesn’t mean your raw work is worthless—often it just needs new packaging. Focus on these asset categories and export methods.

Key assets to collect

• Video recordings — walkthroughs, user tests, team demos.
• 3D models and textures — FBX, OBJ, glTF, PNG, JPG, PSD.
• Unity/Unreal project files — .unitypackage, project folders, packaged builds.
• Audio — voiceovers, SFX, ambient tracks (WAV, MP3).
• Design docs — concept briefs, flow diagrams, storyboards, wireframes.
• Code — Git commits, scripts, snippets you can publish on GitHub.
• Research artifacts — usability notes, surveys, analytics, interview summaries.

How to export when you no longer have in-app access

• If you have a local copy of the project (Unity/Unreal), export a Unity package or Engine build and copies of key assets like models and textures. For patterns that help you convert these into small web slices, check the micro-app template pack.
• If you used a Quest headset for capture, export through the headset’s storage or use a USB transfer. If that isn’t available, use any existing recordings from desktop mirrors.
• For video-only evidence, extract high-quality clips with OBS or a capture card and any screen-capture app from desktop replay files or meeting recordings.
• If you can’t access originals, reconstruct: record a narrated walkthrough of the design process, use screenshots, and reproduce simplified prototypes in WebGL or A-Frame to demonstrate UX concepts.
• Always check IP and permissions: ask a team lead or institution for explicit permission to reuse assets—some companies hold asset rights and will guide what can be shared publicly.

Document everything. If you can’t show the original app, you can always show the process, decisions, and measurable outcomes.

Create portfolio-ready deliverables

Companies hiring for XR roles now expect clear demonstrations of impact and cross-platform thinking. Transform your Workrooms experience into these portfolio pieces.

1) Demo reel (2–3 minutes)

A concise demo reel is often the first thing recruiters watch. Keep it tight and outcome-focused.

• Structure: Problem → Solution → Role → Outcome. Start with a 10–15 second problem statement, show 60–90 seconds of the core interactions, and close with outcomes and metrics.
• Editing tips: 1080p minimum, 30–60fps, clear captions, 16:9 for YouTube/LinkedIn and a portrait crop for mobile viewing on Instagram; add a short text overlay listing tools and your role.
• Script template: 5–10 second hook, 30–60 second walkthrough, 10–20 second metrics + takeaways.

2) Case study

One well-written case study is worth several short clips. Use a simple, repeatable format.

1. Context: Team size, timeline, platform (Workrooms), constraints.
2. Problem: What user need or business problem you addressed.
3. Approach: Tools, prototyping steps, research methods, architecture.
4. Deliverables: Screenshots, model views, code snippets, diagrams.
5. Impact: Metrics, qualitative feedback, what you learned.
6. Links: GitHub, demo reel, live prototype (if available).

3) Lightweight interactive prototypes

Recreate key interactions as web-hosted demos so employers can try them without a headset.

• Use A-Frame, Three.js, PlayCanvas, or Unity WebGL to build small playable slices of your project. For a step-by-step no-code launch path (one-page hosting and micro-app style builds) see: No-Code Micro-App + One-Page Site Tutorial.
• Export 3D assets to glTF for compact, web-friendly use. Storage and perceptual optimization approaches are covered in our note on Perceptual AI and Image Storage.
• Host quick builds on GitHub Pages, Itch.io, or a static site with embedded WebGL.

4) Design artifacts and research

Not every hiring manager can run VR. Present the transferable parts of XR work:

• Interaction maps, flow diagrams, wireframes, and user journey maps.
• Usability test videos clipped to show insights and iterations.
• Accessibility notes — how you considered comfort, motion sickness, readouts, and input alternatives.

Rewriting your resume and CV with XR experience

Turn platform loss into a narrative about impact and portability. Use short bullets that highlight outcomes, tools, and collaboration.

Sample bullets

• XR Developer — Built prototype collaborative VR room for remote design critique using Unity; optimized assets for mobile headsets, reducing load times 40%.
• Interaction Designer — Led UX research and iteration of spatial UI in a team of 4; improved task completion rate in prototype tests by 25%.
• Producer / PM — Coordinated cross-campus XR team (5 members), tracking milestones and publishing a 3-minute demo reel used in 6 job applications.

Always include links to your demo reel, GitHub, and any WebXR builds. If the live build is private, state that and offer to share on request.

How to present collaborative projects and credit teammates

Transparency builds trust. Many XR projects are team efforts—explain your contribution clearly.

• Use an ownership line in your case study: “Role: Interaction Designer — responsible for spatial UI and user testing.”
• List collaborators and what they did, and ask teammates for short quotes or LinkedIn recommendations to include.
• If ownership is unclear, get written permission from stakeholders before publicly posting assets.

Cross-platform repackaging: practical how-tos

Recruiters rarely hire for Workrooms specifically. Show that your work runs across platforms—web, mobile AR, or headset-ready builds.

Turn a Unity scene into a web demo (step-by-step)

1. Open the Unity project and remove heavy assets (LOD / textures) for WebGL compatibility.
2. Switch build target to WebGL and run a small scene showing the core interaction.
3. Export lightweight models to glTF if you use Three.js; upload both to Sketchfab for a quick embed. For guidance on hosted, conversion-first pages, see the conversion playbook: Conversion-First Local Website Playbook.
4. Host the WebGL build on GitHub Pages or Itch.io and link it in your case study; a no-code micro-app approach can speed this process (see above).

Make a mobile AR demo

• Export models as USDZ (iOS) and glTF (Android) or use a WebAR wrapper to host an AR experience accessible via a link.
• Prototype interactions with AR Quick Look or 8th Wall if you need richer features.

2026 trends that make your repackaged portfolio valuable

The XR hiring landscape in 2026 reflects a few clear shifts. Use these trends to shape what you save and how you present it.

• Meta’s pivot to wearables and AI — As big companies reallocate Reality Labs spending toward wearables and AI-powered glasses (e.g., newer Ray-Ban devices), employers want lightweight AR skills and UI patterns that translate to small, always-on displays. See notes from the Live Creator Hub on edge-first workflows.
• Cross-platform is king — Recruiters favor candidates who can move a concept from headset demo to web or mobile AR.
• Generative 3D tools are accelerating — Familiarity with text-to-3D workflows and AI-assisted asset generation is a plus. See research on perceptual AI for storage and asset optimization: Perceptual AI and Image Storage.
• Privacy and cost efficiency — Demonstrate how you optimized assets for performance and device battery life, or how you designed around privacy constraints.

Mini case study: A quick win from a student intern

Summary: Intern Aisha lost access to a Workrooms project but transformed it into a WebXR prototype + demo reel that landed an internship interview.

1. 72-hour triage: exported her Unity project, backed up models, captured a 90-second recorded walkthrough.
2. Repackaging: produced a 2-minute demo reel and converted the core interaction to an A-Frame WebXR prototype demonstrating the same flow on a phone.
3. Presentation: wrote a 1-page case study and added GitHub code snippets. Shared the reel and prototype on LinkedIn and received 3 recruiter messages within a week.
4. Outcome: Interview leads and one internship offer within 30 days—because the work was accessible and framed for non-VR hiring managers.

30/60/90 day checklist: a timeline to rebuild visibility

Days 1–3

• Backup assets and documents. (See offline docs tools above.)
• Collect proof of contribution and get permissions.

Days 4–14

• Create a 2–3 minute demo reel and a 1-page case study.
• Export core assets to glTF/FBX and upload to Sketchfab or a personal site.

Days 15–30

• Build a lightweight WebXR or WebGL prototype and host it.
• Update resume and LinkedIn with the new artifacts and reach out to recruiters with a concise message and links. For recruiter tooling and ATS choices, our review of job boards and ATS is useful: Job Board Platform Review.

Days 31–90

• Apply to targeted roles with tailored portfolios.
• Collect feedback, iterate on artifacts, publish case studies in Medium or Dev.to, and request LinkedIn recommendations.

Tools and resources (quick list)

• Capture & editing: OBS, capture cards, Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Clipchamp
• 3D and export: Blender, FBX2glTF, Unity, Unreal
• WebXR & web: A-Frame, Three.js, PlayCanvas, Sketchfab — for hosting assets and optimized storage see Perceptual AI & Image Storage
• Hosting & code: GitHub Pages, Itch.io, Netlify
• Documentation & collaboration: Notion, Miro, Google Drive

Final tips: what hiring managers really want

• Clear outcomes — Show what changed because of your work: metrics, user quotes, or demo improvements.
• Portability — Make it easy to view: short videos, web demos, and downloadable artifacts trump inaccessible headset-only demos.
• Process over platform — Emphasize problem solving, design thinking, and cross-technical collaboration.

Call to action

Don’t let a platform shutdown erase your career progress. Start your 72-hour triage now: back up assets, capture video, and document your role. If you want a ready-to-use pack, download our free "XR Repackaging Checklist & Demo Reel Script" (tailored for students) and get a sample case study template ready to paste into your portfolio. Share your repackaged portfolio link in the comments or on LinkedIn and tag @studentjobxyz — we’ll review one portfolio per week and give direct feedback.

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