Facebook’s VR Avatars Get Upgrades, Better Appearance And More Customization Options

The virtual reality service that Facebook has been trying to push called Spaces has been criticized in the past for being too flat. The social network has since responded to this by essentially making its VR avatars look a bit more animated. New customization options were created, as well, which will allow users to make some changes with their avatars such as their sizes and shapes.

As Engadget notes, this development likely won’t mean much to those who don’t already have an interest in the VR system that Facebook has in place. For those who are curious as to what interacting with others in VR could mean, the update will start rolling out within the week.

In the meantime, it’s worth pointing out that the biggest advantage to VR is that it is intended to be a more immersive experience in a virtual setting than simply browsing social media via computer or mobile screens. The boost in realism that Facebook is trying to inject into Spaces might just make the biggest difference in actually reeling in users.

On that note, the experience is naturally only limited to users who have a VR headset like the Oculus Rift. Those who already have the headset can simply jump into the open beta that Facebook has going on right now, The Verge reports. As Facebook said in a statement, the goal is to give users a meaningful VR experience.

“Our goal is that everyone can represent themselves in VR in a way that feels natural, so we knew we could do better,” the statement reads. “In order to have a meaningful social experience in VR, you need an engaging avatar that represents you and helps you relate to other people in the virtual space. It’s a huge part of feeling like you’re ‘really there’ together. That’s why we’ve been continuously working to learn what helps people represent and express themselves while spending time with friends in VR.”