Avatars and Avatar Portability

1ST YEAR ON THE LIST

Avatars serve as the digital extensions or representations of users in online platforms, particularly in gaming, immersive social networks, and metaverse environments.

KEY INSIGHT

Avatars are virtual representations of users in digital platforms. As they become part of more people’s everyday lives, avatar portability— the ability to transition an avatar between platforms built on different software or by different companies— will be key to creating a seamless user experience.

EXAMPLES

You might think of an online profile picture as the predecessor to an avatar, representing a user and appearing alongside content they post or records of their actions within a platform. The avatar brings this representation into greater dimension, often taking humanoid form, rendered in three dimensions, and capable of dynamic animated movement. In virtual environments with 3D perspective, these avatars can move around digital spaces and engage one another with voice, text, or by simulating physical interactions. As our online actions and behaviors transition from apps and websites to more immersive XR experiences in the metaverse, avatars will come to serve as our virtual emissaries for everything from shopping, to socializing, to working. Early efforts in avatar portability include a cross-platform avatar format called VRM from graphics company Khronos, which can be transferred across compatible VR platforms.

DISRUPTIVE IMPACT

Avatars will increasingly be used to not only represent a user in a virtual platform but as the main medium for how users interact and communicate. Avatar portability will allow users to move among various digital realms in the metaverse while maintaining a relatively consistent aesthetic and functionality in their avatar.

EMERGING PLAYERS

• Alethea AI • Apple’s Memoji and Animoji • Khronos • Meta’s Codec Avatars • Microsoft Teams • Minecraft • Roblox • Stanford University’s Virtual

Human Interaction Lab