Robert Greene Tech 10.12.2022 00:Oct AM EDT

Meta Connect 2022: Avatars Will Now Have Legs; Other Updates Also Announced

Avatars have legs. Meta tells those who hang out in virtual reality - the company has put on legs to floating avatars.

Meta Connect 2022 kicked off the annual conference of developers discussing tinnovations in both augmented and virtual reality.

"We shared our vision for Meta Avatars and how we'll empower developers to bring avatars into their own experiences," Meta announced.

These new avatars, however, will not be immediately available to other developers. Horizon Worlds will have them first, initially.

Meta Software Development Kit

Meta has understood that it cannot live alone in its exclusive virtual village. That's why the company created a software development kit (SDK) to enable a third-party virtual reality experience.

The SDK, Engadget noted, will showcase Unreal Engine support for VR and iOS and Android support for Unity.

It will also feature "natural facial expressions" on Meta Quest Pro to copy users' facial expressions to the avatar.

Meta Makes it Easier to Create an Avatar

Creating an avatar will be made easier for everyone in the metaverse and beyond.

To begin, take a video selfie on the phone camera. Then tweak the avatar to whatever you like. Pre-sets are also available to start with.

What is the use of creating an avatar if it can't be shared in the virtual world?

Meta ensures that the avatar a user has created can be shared on WhatsApp. These legged avatars will also be available on Instagram, WhatsApp video calls, and Messenger. But that will likely happen next year.

During calls, these avatars can mimic the user's movements and expressions in a way similar to that of Apple Memoji.

Memoji on iPhone, iPad Pro

Apple users can make Memoji match their personality and mood. Not only that. The created Memoji can be shared in Messages and FaceTime.

With compatible iPhone or iPad Pro, users can create animated Memojis mirroring their facial expressions, and the voice sounds like their own.

And creating Memoji requires no rocket science. By just following simple instructions, then bingo, users can have their Memojis.

New Avatars Look Better

Other than the legs, the avatars look better, too. These new avatars are clearly improved versions of what was seen in Meta before.

This after Mark Zuckerberg had a let-down in August after sharing a screenshot of his avatar from the Horizon Worlds. The avatar, one netizen commented, is no farther from the 2002 Nintendo GameCube's "World Baby."

The Meta CEO promised updates for VR visuals to come soon, which time is the announcement and other updates Meta has announced in Meta Connect 2022.

Goodbye to Meta Avatars of Floating Torsos

As TechCrunch noted Meta is true to its annual rituals of rocking up its racks.

This year's Meta Connect has lived up to that tradition. The only difference is that it has focused on the metaverse saying goodbye to floating torsos with heads and arms.

Zuckerberg was excited about walking, better-looking avatars, a far cry from the Nintendo-looking avatar he had before. During the keynote, a so-excited he was seen jumping for joy.

The best part of the event was the announcement that Meta will be opening its own avatar store where people can buy the accessories they need to create a Meta avatar.