Enter the Metaverse: How to Create a Virtual Avatar

The ability to traverse virtual worlds from the comfort of your home sounds like a far-off futuristic idea, but there’s more going on in the metaverse than you may realize. However, before you can start exploring, you’ll need a virtual avatar that will represent you in digital spaces. VR headsets may cost you hundreds of dollars, but a virtual avatar is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Here’s how to get started.

(Credit: The Sandbox)

Before you create your avatar and enter the metaverse, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of what you’re getting yourself into. Facebook parent company Meta may have made the metaverse a mainstream topic, but the idea is much larger than one company.

The metaverse is simply a computer-generated environment in which people interact with others. There are a number of metaverses at the moment, including Meta’s Horizon Worlds, Roblox, VRChat, and more. To fully use any of them, you need a VR headset, which can be pricey, but you can still explore some metaverse experiences without one, so we’ll demonstrate how to create an avatar for free without the need for VR. 

How to Create a Virtual Avatar

Ready Player Me(Opens in a new window) is a website that offers free, 3D full-body avatars that can be used across multiple virtual worlds. To get started, click the Create Avatar button on readyplayer.me. Choose your body type, and you’ll then be prompted to upload a photo. You can take a picture right then, or upload one from your device.

The system uses this image to generate an avatar that looks like you. If you prefer not to upload a photo, click Continue without a photo and choose one of the pre-made avatar models.

You’re then presented with the first iteration of your avatar. From here, you can start customizing it in the following areas:

• Skin tone

• Eye shape

• Nose shape

• Lip shape

• Outfit

• Hairstyle

• Facial hair

• Eye color

• Eyebrow shape

• Glasses

• Makeup/face tattoos

• Masks/face coverings

• Hats/headgear

The fun part about this is that your avatar can look just like you or a completely made-up character. For clothes, you can go with the classic jeans and T-shirt look, dress like an office worker, or choose a costume.

There’s the option to add different styles of glasses or sunglasses, as well as accessories like visors, hats, face coverings, or face masks. Choose your favorite hairstyle or fun eye colors like swirly red, black or green cat eyes, or those that look more robotic.

Note that there are a few limitations. You can’t change the body type, size, or height of your avatar, nor can you make hyper-realistic changes to your eyes, nose, or mouth placement. You also can’t mix and match outfits and hairstyles for different ethnicities are somewhat limited.

Once you’re finished customizing, click Enter Hub in the top-right corner of the screen. Click Claim your avatar to create an account and make it available to use with Ready Player Me. (You can create multiple avatars if you’d like.)

Now that your avatar is created, Ready Player Me will allow you to use it in the metaverse. Click on Discover Apps on the left side of your screen and browse through the offerings of compatible virtual worlds and games(Opens in a new window). This way, you don’t have to create a new avatar for each individual site you want to use.

For example, if you want to enter VRChat using your avatar, click VRChat > Import to VRChat. This will take the avatar you created with Ready Player Me and load it on to the VRChat platform. Note that you may need to create an account with the virtual worlds you choose to enter.

Ready Player Me is just one way to create an avatar and enter the metaverse. You may prefer to create your avatar directly with the virtual world you wish to inhabit. Another service called Synthesia(Opens in a new window) allows you to create a digitized version of yourself that looks less like a cartoon and more like a real person.

Creating virtual avatars for digital worlds may be a new concept, but it’s already a lucrative business for many. There are services that will build a custom avatar for you, and their prices range from a few hundred dollars up to $10,000.

As the metaverse continues to grow, its uses will likely increase. Meta is largely promoting the metaverse as an outlet for virtual meeting spaces for work, but other companies are focusing on a more social approach or integrating with the gaming industry.

If you’re still skeptical about creating an avatar and heading in to the metaverse, consider that you might already be participating in it. A Bitmoji(Opens in a new window), for example, is a form of virtual avatar. If that doesn’t concern you, maybe the metaverse won’t either.