Amp up your VRChat in-game experience with the new avatar interaction updates.
VRChat, the largest and most popular social VR platform hosted a developer stream in April 2021. During this event, the company revealed a host of new features making their way to the ever-growing platform. The most anticipated announcement, however, concerned the avatars- your digital twins on VRChat. As per the announcement, VRChat was about to launch some unique avatar-to-avatar interaction features designed to enhance your VR experience within the game. What’s more, these extraordinary features will be available for the users without consuming much of their framerate. Some of these features will even be available on Quest VR Headset. However, there will be tighter restrictions compared to their access via PC VR.
The in-game interactions we are talking about are mostly simple things. But it will reportedly give you an unexpected delight. You can now boop your friend’s nose, pat someone’s head or receive a high-five from your partner with a loud, satisfying crack. You can even make yourself self-destruct with just a push of a physical button. All these are achieved by utilizing the innovative Avatar Dynamics of VRChat, the official press release confirmed.
The press release also revealed the upgrades VRChat users can expect from Avatar Dynamics when the beta testing opens next year. Here are some of the highlights:
- PhysBones: This technology allows users to grab, touch, and pose bones on their avatars as well as that of other players. It is included as a part of the SDK. PhysBones will serve as a direct replacement for the previous DynamicBones. The company promises a roughly 10-12x improvement over its existing system, which is supposed to help improve its current framerate issue as well.
- Avatar Triggers: These triggers will detect colliders on all the avatars, allowing the users to interact with others as well as themselves in a wide variety of ways. Each VRChat avatar by default features its own standard collider. However, you will have the ability to personalise your own avatar. Thus, VRChat keeps the door for future possibilities open.
- Automatic Dynamic Bone Conversion: All VRChat avatars featuring DynamicBones will be converted to PhysBones automatically.
- Automatic Collider System: Any avatar missing a custom setup will be assigned a set of default collider systems complete with PhysBone and Avatar Triggers.
- Debug View: Users can now activate debug view on their main menu to view a complete overlay of PhysBones, Colliders, and Avatar Triggers. This is going to be available in both VRChat and Editor, making customisation easier than ever.
- Permission System: The platform is introducing a new built-in permission system, that allows users to control who can interact with their avatars within the game and how. You can also opt out of the system whenever you want to.
Along with these, VRChat also stated that the users can expect a performance boost. As for when these updates will be available, the company reported that they are currently hosting a closed beta test with their skill-level users and. Hopefully, the open beta will launch early next year.
