Your VR character might just look a lot more like … well, you. Oculus takes place a Avatars redesign that offers a lot more customization, especially for facial features. You can choose the exact eyes, nose and mouth or wrinkles if you are a veteran VR user. You’ll also have more choices for body types, beards, makeup, clothing, and other personal touches. Oculus claims there are over a “quintillion” of possible combos, although it’s safe to assume that some of them will be more subtle than others.
Character movement is expected to be more natural thanks to machine learning-based motion prediction, Oculus added.
The brand also promises a more “unified” experience, with avatars appearing in more places. They are initially available in a handful of experiences, including games like Epic roller coasters, PokerStarsVR and Topgolf with Pro Putt, but they are expected to come to a range of VR projects, including Facebook Horizon later in 2021.
Extended avatars may seem like simple add-ons, but they could stimulate further adoption of the Oculus Quest 2 and Facebook’s VR platforms. If you are better represented in VR, you may be more likely to use the technology. This is especially true for Horizon and other social apps where your digital personality plays a crucial role.
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