The latest pre-release version of Quest’s Horizon OS v76 PTC introduces an exciting feature: users can now employ their Meta Avatar as a virtual webcam during video calls.
This new update harnesses the Android API to access your selfie camera, allowing applications to receive a virtual video stream that reflects your Meta Avatar’s head movements and hand gestures. Lip synchronization is achieved by analyzing microphone audio, providing a more immersive experience.
Additionally, a new ‘Selfie cam’ settings tab has been integrated into the Horizon OS interface, granting users the ability to customize the background image and adjust the virtual field of view.
Meta initially announced the development of this feature nearly two years ago, and its appearance in the PTC suggests a potential rollout later this month or in April.
During my testing on a Quest 3, I discovered that the feature performed well in nearly every sideloaded Android app I explored, including the mobile version of WhatsApp. However, it did not function within the web browser environment.
As for the settings, the background image control is not yet fully operational, while adjustments to the field of view effectively allow you to display more or less of your avatar during calls.
One limitation I noticed is that your head’s positional movements aren’t tracked; only head rotation is recognized. This significantly restricts your capacity to express yourself through body language, detracting from the authentic webcam experience.
It’s also worth noting that for headsets lacking face and eye tracking capabilities—such as all Meta devices except for the Quest Pro—your avatar may not present the most appealing image to someone using a traditional screen. In virtual and mixed reality environments, the shared digital space and spatial audio create engaging interactions, even with basic avatars. Unfortunately, these benefits do not translate well to standard screens. Even Apple’s Vision Pro, with its lifelike Personas, doesn’t entirely succeed on a flat display, and Meta Avatars fall short in comparison. Currently, Meta Avatars do not utilize the Audio To Expression technology that Meta has developed.
It seems likely that this feature may serve as a temporary solution until Meta is ready to unveil the first iteration of Codec Avatars, their long-anticipated initiative to create photorealistic avatars suitable for headsets and future eyewear.
This avatar selfie camera capability arrives approximately seven months after Meta implemented the option to share your first-person view in video calls. Consequently, with the introduction of v76 PTC, users now possess two distinct methods to provide a video stream to 2D applications.