During its annual developer’s conference, Roblox unveiled its ambitious plans to transcend its reputation as a children’s gaming platform. The company has been making strides in diversifying its user base, having recently announced its intention to accommodate mature content for users aged 17 and above. As part of this broader strategy, Roblox is set to introduce a novel animated video calling feature later this year, aptly named “Roblox Connect.”
This innovative feature combines elements reminiscent of Zoom and Memoji, allowing users to initiate virtual hangouts with their friends who also use the Roblox platform. These voice-based calls bring together two avatars in a variety of virtual settings, such as a serene dock or a picturesque campsite. Leveraging Roblox’s existing investments in facial motion tracking technology, these avatars will soon replicate the precise facial expressions of their users, even down to matching blink rates, promising a more immersive and lifelike experience.
“In the near future, a user’s avatar will faithfully mimic their exact facial expressions,” explained Roblox’s CTO and CPO in their announcement. The Roblox Connect feature is scheduled for release later this year, with plans to offer it to developers, enabling further innovations within the platform’s creative community.
Roblox Connect seamlessly integrates the platform’s existing avatars, voice chat, and camera-based facial animations, potentially setting it apart from the traditional gaming environments typically associated with Roblox.
The company also has its sights set on achieving “more realistic” avatar movements, which may include motion mapping for hand gestures and upper-body actions. Importantly, these enhancements should be accessible on commonly used consumer hardware capable of running Roblox.
In the background, we’re essentially transforming a Hollywood-style motion capture studio into a system that operates seamlessly on a mobile phone or laptop—without requiring any specialized equipment or motion-tracking markers,” emphasized the announcement. “The device’s camera is the sole requirement for capturing and translating motion in real-time.”
While the company anticipates that more users will seek virtual avatars to express their emotions in the future, it acknowledges that the current technology can often feel awkward or unsettling, akin to a novelty rather than a practical means of extended voice communication, as seen with Apple’s Memoji. Nonetheless, Roblox’s dedicated community may embrace these new ways to connect with each other, even if they haven’t gained widespread adoption elsewhere.
In addition to Roblox Connect, the company made several other noteworthy announcements during its developer event. One of the major reveals was that Roblox will finally become available on the PS4 and PS5 platforms starting next month. Similar to its competitor Epic, creator of Fortnite, Roblox is committed to a cross-platform approach, aiming to make its app accessible and user-friendly across various devices. The addition of Sony’s gaming consoles fills a longstanding gap in this strategy.
