Meta introduces holographic avatars
What's the story
Meta has unveiled new holographic avatars at the company's Connect 2026 event earlier today. The new digital likenesses are a huge leap from the company's previous attempts. The holographic avatars are powered by Meta's new Muse Realtime Avatar model. This advanced tech uses a brief training period to mimic your real-life facial expressions while you talk. The tech is now being integrated into the company's new VR glasses and Meta Ray-Ban Display frames.
Avatar creation
Creating a holographic avatar
Creating a holographic avatar for display-enabled glasses is a five-minute process. The user has to create an avatar in the Meta AI app, much like creating a Vision Pro "persona."
The app uses your phone's camera to capture different angles of your face during the setup and asks you a series of questions to capture how your voice sounds in different interactions.
Once created, this avatar can be used on video calls on WhatsApp or Zoom while wearing these glasses.
Advanced features
New VR glasses
Meta's new VR glasses offer an even more advanced feature for creating holographic avatars.
The device's cameras and sensors are so advanced that they can create a full-body avatar without "teaching" it your expressions.
It uses inward-facing cameras and sensors to understand your facial expressions, making the process even more seamless than with display-enabled glasses.
Realism factor
A greater sense of presence
The holographic avatars are not fully 3D and only show a frontal view of a person. However, they are much more realistic than any other interaction with a VR avatar.
The tech is still in its early preview stage and some bugs need to be worked out. But it could give users a greater sense of presence during video calls, according to Meta representatives.