Roblox announces in-game video calling with new “Connect” feature
RobloxAt the Roblox Developers Conference 2023, the platform announced a brand-new feature that will allow players to communicate within the game via an avatar-based video chat. The Roblox Connect feature is available to users, but there is a catch. Here is what we currently know about it.
Roblox constantly attempts to improve social interactions within its virtual world to accommodate its large and diverse user base. A revolutionary feature that delighted the Roblox community in the past was the introduction of Avatar Voice Chat.
Avatar Voice Chat analyses the player’s voice and translates it into synchronized lip and facial movements for their avatars using sophisticated algorithms. However, the recent integration of the camera into specific experiences has elevated this feature to a new level.
Now at Roblox Developers Conference 2023, David Baszucki (CEO of Roblox), also known as the Builderman, has announced a new feature called Connect, which will allow users to call each other and engage in live avatar video chat using their mobile phones and other camera-enabled devices.
Here is everything we currently know about the forthcoming feature.
Upcoming Roblox Connect feature will allow players to video call other users
During his keynote address at RDC 2023, the Builderman announced that a new feature called Roblox Connect will soon be accessible to all metaverse platform users. According to the official post on X, “Connect is an immersive 3D communications experience” that Roblox will open-source for its creator community.
Builderman continued the announcement by demonstrating the feature alongside Garima Sinha (Senior Product Director) via a mobile phone Roblox app call. The two then used their in-game avatars and the cameras on their mobile devices to track body movements and facial expressions in real-time.
With the Roblox Connect feature, players can capture their motion, communicate in real-time, use the gyroscope on their phones to move their avatars, and utilize a cinematic view to gain a broader perspective of you and your companion on the call.
While there is no official release date for the upcoming feature, it has been announced that it will be made available to creators for use in their experiences before becoming a part of the app itself.
