Case Study: Microsoft creates an immersive retro developer experience with Reflektor Digital

Microsoft delivers a 1975-style Build experience for 23,000 developers with Reflektor Digital

The customer Microsoft faced the challenge of creating an authentically retro 1975 developer experience for their 50th anniversary at Build 2025. They needed this installation to feel completely period-accurate for a highly technical audience while simultaneously coordinating multiple devices and running bulletproof for four days. Vendor Reflektor Digital was brought on to build the custom digital layer and immersive software.

Reflektor Digital engineered a solution from the ground up, building a custom DOS-like operating system and wrapping it in a WebGL shader for authentic CRT effects. They developed a central server to synchronize four Altair stations, a leaderboard, a badge printer, and video playback. The result was a seamless experience for 23,000 developers, widespread praise from Microsoft leadership and press coverage, and internal buzz about a global tour.

Microsoft