Facebook Spaces VR avatars kind of look like real people now
Facebook Spaces is finally redesigning its avatars to look more like you, and less like a corny cartoon character.
The company has added hundreds of new customization and control options to the virtual reality avatars, and has updated their depth and movement. The updates will roll out this week.
The avatars look noticeably more three-dimensional than they did before, with additional depth and shading compared to their relatively flat predecessors. They can also move more fluidly, and display a wider range of expressions.
The company also says it has released "hundreds" of new head shapes, hairstyles, and facial features. If you're willing to sift through them, you can make your avatar look more like you.
You can see the difference here:
This feature is an interesting appeal to Facebook Spaces' growing audience. As more people join the platform, an extensive library of features will enable a larger variety of users to create their virtual likeness. It'll also increase the number of distinct avatars users can create, decreasing the chance that you ever see two of the same.
Facebook was one of the first social media platforms to require users to use their own name, and present their "real" selves to the internet. Now it's becoming one of the first social VR platforms where you're, down to the head dimensions, truly you.
Topics Facebook Virtual Reality
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
