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Meta Avatars Finally Get Legs on Quest

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Meta released a Quest software update via its public test channel (PTC), which lets users opt-in to try new features before they’re pushed out to everyone. Among the v57 PTC update is a feature that’s been notably missing from Meta avatars: legs.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised at Connect 2022 that its avatars would eventually be getting legs, putting an end to the platform’s characteristic floating torsos at some point in the not-too-distant future. At the time, Zuckerberg showed off his on-stage avatar jumping and kicking, although it was revealed later this was actually created using some fairly common external motion capture tech.

In short, Quest can’t track legs yet, which means the v57 PTC update is packing a pretty standard implementation of inverse kinematics (IK), resulting in the sort of body positioning guesswork you see in apps like VR Chat. Still, nice to see a full body in Quest Home for once, right?

X (formerly Twitter) user Lunayian shows off the new avatar legs after installing the v57 PTC update.

Meta Quest v57 PTC finally adds legs to your Meta avatar 😀 pic.twitter.com/3dzuuppp6e

— Luna (@Lunayian) August 29, 2023

YouTuber and tech analyst Brad Lynch also tried out the new legs, showing off some of the limitations currently. Notably, you won’t see your avatar’s legs when looking down directly at them—they’re only viewable via the mirror, and ostensibly by other users—and the IK system still doesn’t account for crouching.

According to data mined by X user NyaVR, the v57 PTC update also includes the ability to enable and disable the avatar mirror, a new Horizon Worlds Portal in home, an Airplane Mode, and an Extended Battery Mode.

The comes alongside a wider push to attract more users to Horizon Worlds, as Meta recently took its first steps of ending Quest-exclusivity for the social VR app with the launch of a closed beta on Android mobile devices. It’s also set to arrive on standard PC browsers too at some point.

Additionally, Meta seems to also be investing more in first-party content for Horizon Worlds, having released Super Rumble late last month, a hero shooter which feels more in line with the sort of sticky content that ought to attract and bring users back more regularly.

We’re sure to learn more about Quest software features and Horizon Worlds stuff at the company’s annual Connect developer conference, which takes place September 27th.

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Luxury Brand Valentino Launches Meta Avatar Clothing

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Meta and Italian luxury brand Valentino have partnered to launch a new line of digital clothing on the company’s Avatar Store.

When the Meta Avatars Store launched in late 2022, the company offered digital outfits from a number of luxury clothing brands, including Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne.

Now the prestigious Roman fashion house is among them, bringing a range of patently Valentino outfits inspired by its recent IRL collection, including two mini dresses, a skintight jumpsuit, a suit jacket, a bomber jacket, a t-shirt, a pair of jeans and a pair of shorts.

All of its digital outfits are priced at $5, making it basically the cheapest thing you can buy with the name Valentino attached to it. Second place goes to two physical items, the Rosso Valentino Mini Lipstick and Stick With Me Glitter Primer, both of which will set you back $25.

Like all of the digital clothing available on the Meta Avatar Store, users can dress their avatars across Quest, Instagram, Facebook, as well as in Messenger via its new avatar calling function, which lets you use your avatar in place of your camera for video chats. In VR, users can show off their digital purchases in the company’s Horizon Worlds social app.

If you’ve never perused the digital racks, follow these steps to sort through the store’s paid and free digital clothing:

  1. Put on your Meta Quest headset.
  2. Select your profile picture from the navigation menu, then select Edit avatar.
  3. Select Store. From here, you can filter by brand and price.
  4. Select the item that you want to get, then tap Save or Buy.
    • If you’re buying an item, enter your device PIN and confirm the purchase.
  5. Select Save.

Your avatar will be updated automatically with your new items. You can go to your closet any time to view and change them.

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