What’s New at AncestoriesXR
AncestoriesXR is entering a new phase in its development. The technology has finally caught up with my vision for the company – to be able to give customers a beautiful representation of a chapter from one of their family pioneer’s lives. As I have always said, you have done the research. You have the records. You know the stories that have been passed down through the ages. Or maybe you’ve recently discovered a nugget that adds depth to your family history that you want to share in a captivating way.
That’s what happened to me. Five years ago, I stumbled across documents showing several of my mother’s ancestors were not only free people in Brunswick County, Virginia, but at least two of them had served in the Revolutionary War. It hit me like a lightning bolt. My teenage son was interested, but it did not make him want to drop the controller to his Xbox. That was the origin of AncestoriesXR. Could I build something that could get the attention of digital-first members of our families?
With the help of some contract workers, I tried to build AncestoriesXR in a game engine. It was nice, but time-consuming and ultimately expensive. Even though I later found a way to greatly reduce the time to build a scene, make avatars, dress them in era-appropriate clothing, telling the story that way still did not scale. So I put it on the back burner.
Advancements such as gaussian splatting and artificial intelligence in the areas of vibe coding, 3D model creation, deep research and generative AI mean the cost and time for producing compelling content is much less.
What hasn’t changed in what we do is good storytelling. That is where my team excels. My team of journalists, researchers, documentary makers and producers know how to give context to a family story that can help make it richer, rather than a recitation of places and dates. We are not trying to make your family’s story a game with made up dialogue and ridiculous choices just to add drama. But we can link to letters and journal excerpts if you have them and want to add them to the finished product that we deliver to you for you to share with loved ones and friends.
Have a wonderful holiday season. As our gift to you, we are announcing a AncestoriesXR Giveaway. Two people will win a 60-second mini-documentary about one of their ancestors. The deadline is at 11:59 p.m. (PST), Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Just fill out the form. We will announce the winner on Dec. 15, 2025. Click the image to fill out the giveaway entry form.
Cheers,
Retha
AncestoriesXR Founder