\n<\/p>\n
Virtual avatars in Meta\u2019s Horizon Worlds<\/em> universe have gained legs, according to UploadVR<\/em><\/a>. You should now see them when looking at other users or checking out your own avatar in a mirror, but your own avatar\u2019s legs aren\u2019t visible from a first-person perspective. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Legs proved to be a technical challenge for Meta<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSeriously, legs are hard, which is why other virtual reality systems don\u2019t have them either,\u201d Zuckerberg said last year. (That statement wasn\u2019t entirely accurate since systems like VRChat have already allowed legs on avatars.) Still, a glitchy depiction of legs would quickly break your sense of immersion in the VR realm. To solve for challenges like occlusion, Meta built an AI model that\u2019s used to predict the position of your whole body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meta has also gradually continued to introduce more body shapes<\/a> and more refined, better-detailed textures for its avatars. In April, the company announced over 1 billion avatars<\/a> have been created across its platforms. \u201cSelf-expression and representation matter \u2014 it\u2019s what makes your avatar feel like you \u2014 and we\u2019ll continue adding more options over time, working toward a future where everyone can create an avatar they love,\u201d the company said then.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As UploadVR<\/em> notes, third-party apps can\u2019t yet replicate these avatars with legs; that might have to wait for Meta\u2019s Connect conference later this month, where we\u2019re likely to get a much closer look at the upcoming Quest 3 VR headset<\/a>. Meta has already announced that the device will cost $499.99.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n