What's Happening?
Meta has successfully rendered three full-body Codec Avatars in real-time on the Quest 3 standalone headset. Codec Avatars are photorealistic digital representations driven by face and eye tracking in VR headsets, aiming to deliver a sense of social presence. Meta's research has focused on increasing realism and adaptability while reducing rendering requirements. The latest development uses a technique called 'SqueezeMe', which distills the avatars to run on a mobile chipset with minimal quality loss. Despite some tradeoffs, such as flat lighting and lack of dynamic relighting, this advancement marks a significant step towards integrating Codec Avatars into Meta's Horizon OS headsets.
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Why It's Important?
The ability to render full-body Codec Avatars on a mobile device like Quest 3 represents a major technological breakthrough for Meta. This development could enhance virtual interactions by providing more realistic and immersive experiences, potentially transforming social VR and remote communication. As Meta continues to refine this technology, it may set new standards for avatar realism in the VR industry, influencing competitors and driving innovation. The success of Codec Avatars could also bolster Meta's position in the VR market, attracting more users and developers to its platform.
What's Next?
Meta is expected to share more about its progress on Codec Avatars at the upcoming Meta Connect 2025 event. The company may explore launching a flatscreen version of Codec Avatars with AI-simulated face tracking for video calls, enhancing realism in digital communication. As Meta continues to develop this technology, further improvements in avatar quality and integration into VR environments are anticipated. The company may also address the lack of eye and face tracking in current headsets, potentially leading to new hardware releases.
