Meta introduces 3D avatars to Instagram Stories, updates for Facebook

Meta has announced that the company is adding 3D avatars to Instagram Stories and direct messages and updating avatars in Facebook and Messenger.

People in the United States (US), Canada, and Mexico will be able to appear as their virtual selves in stickers, feed posts, Facebookd profile pictures, and more across Meta platforms, including its Quest VR platform.

Aigerim Shorman, the general manager for avatars and identity, said in a blog post that the new avatars include facial shapes and assistive devices like cochlear impants, hearing aids, and wheelchairs to be more inclusive of users with disabilities.

“Since revealing our long-term vision of the metaverse at Connect 2021, we’ve continued building out this next evolution of social technology, building towards a future where you can sit in the same room as loved ones who are actually thousands of miles away or work naturally with a talented team that spans the globe.”

Also Read: Metaverse to NFT: Guide to 2021’s tech buzzwords

Announcing Meta’s new name last year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the metaverse is a priority for the company.

“One day you’ll have multiple avatars ranging from expressive to photorealistic,” Zuckerberg said in a post on Monday.

The company showed demos of its Codec Avatars and real-time environment rendering at its Facebook Connect event in October. However, it stressed that much of the work was still in the research stage.

On Monday, Meta brought in Super Bowl LVI-themed T-shirts for avatars across its platforms.

This year’s Super Bowl will see the Cincinnati Bengals face off against the Los Angeles Rams at the Rams’ SoFi Stadium on February 13th.

Watch: Mark Zuckerberg tries gloves that lets users feel objects in Metaverse