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Tech Computing

Facebook Spaces changes up its VR avatar system

Hanging out with friends inside of the Facebook Spaces world should look better, as long as you have a headset that lets you use the service.

Mike Sorrentino headshot
Mike Sorrentino
Facebook Spaces - Spend Quality Time Together, Wherever You Are

We're excited to announce that this week we're rolling out new, fully redesigned avatars in Facebook Spaces that are more expressive and customizable than ever! Get a preview of the new avatar styles with a new Facebook Spaces video!

Posted by Facebook Spaces on Monday, April 2, 2018

The Facebook Spaces virtual reality network is changing up its avatar system to let people embody more expressive characters.

Facebook said in a Monday announcement that the avatars would help create a feeling of being "really there" in the virtual space.

facebook-spaces

Facebook Spaces is changing its avatars to make them more expressive.

 Facebook

An example video featured two friends meeting inside a virtual theater space to rehearse Shakespeare lines before breaking out into a sword fight.

Facebook says the new avatars can be customized with new head shapes, hairstyles, facial features and body types. The avatars also will move more naturally with improved body movements and appear more present through better lighting and shadows.

The changes come nearly one year after Facebook Spaces was first announced at the F8 developer conference in 2017, initially supporting the Oculus Rift headset. While Facebook owns Oculus, the company added support for the HTC Vive to Facebook Spaces in December.