Meta, the company behind Facebook’s transformation, has embarked on a mission to address a perplexing issue that’s garnered the attention of every internet user—avatars within Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse are gaining legs, albeit in an unconventional manner.
In a curious blend of memes and public relations hiccups, the addition of legs to avatars in Meta’s virtual realms has become a focal point of Zuckerberg’s endeavor to validate his company’s substantial investments in his vision. Presently, participants navigate Meta’s metaverse as floating torsos complete with arms and heads—noticeably absent are legs. This omission has been a primary target of jest aimed at the product; however, indications suggest that this is on the verge of changing.
The company recently declared that avatars in the beta version of Quest Home have acquired legs, a revelation shared on the Meta Community forum and initially reported by UploadVR. According to Meta spokesperson Eliza Kern, users will begin witnessing avatars with legs in Horizon Home and Meta Horizon Worlds “over the next few weeks.” Soon, we won’t be restricted to the mundanity of observing real-world flesh-and-bone legs.
Previously known as Facebook, Meta altered its name in 2021 to reflect its ambitious shift towards constructing a virtual universe. With one of the most extensively funded research and product development divisions in the consumer tech arena, Meta remains committed to its metaverse project, despite the visual aesthetic of its avatars falling short compared to modern video game standards. This discrepancy stems from the metaverse’s resource-intensive nature, leaving less computational power for the visuals. This limitation hasn’t deterred the online community from poking fun at Meta for its graphics reminiscent of the 2004 era.
Zuckerberg appears to take these criticisms personally. Last autumn, an image of the CEO’s vacant-eyed metaverse avatar went viral due to its lackluster appearance, necessitating a defense from Zuckerberg. During the company’s 2022 conference, he unveiled a video spotlighting the metaverse’s forthcoming legs—yet, this turned out to be a staged segment utilizing motion capture technology rather than the actual Horizon Worlds platform. Despite such setbacks, Meta has maintained its promise that legs are on the horizon. Nearly a year later, the challenge of incorporating legs remains a formidable one.
To be fair, it’s crucial to provide a measure of understanding for the world’s most metaverse-engaged billionaire. Overcoming the technical obstacles is an arduous task. If we are to take the metaverse seriously, it should mirror our physical experience in a digital realm. While virtual reality headsets capture facial expressions and head positioning, handheld controllers track arm movements, replicating leg movements without wearing a device at waist level is inherently challenging. The proposition of donning extra equipment to facilitate leg movement is a tough sell, especially given the existing burden of wearing substantial gear for metaverse participation.
Meta’s solution for now seems to involve a rudimentary approximation. The system doesn’t measure actual leg movement; rather, it conjectures the likely leg position. This approach could yield awkward moments when the rest of your avatar accurately mirrors your real-life actions. Beta testers discovered that Meta’s legs are solely visible in third-person view, according to UploadVR. The legs of others and your own reflection in a metaverse mirror showcase the new legs, but when gazing downwards at your own avatar, your legs remain unseen.
