Microsoft is finally adding its 3D avatars for all Microsoft Teams users starting in May, according to an update from its Microsoft 365 roadmap. Microsoft originally announced the avatars feature in 2021 and has been testing it privately for the past few months.
Avatars in Microsoft Teams are designed to make sure people don’t have to appear in front of the camera during meetings. If you’re not in the mood for video or you need a break from constant calls, then you can swap in a 3D avatar that animates based on just your vocal cues – no camera needed at all.
“It’s not binary, so I can choose how I want to appear, whether it’s a video or an avatar, and there are several custom options to choose how you want to be present in a meeting,” said Katie Kelly, lead product manager for Microsoft Mesh, in an interview with The edge in 2021. “We’re able to interpret your vocal cues to animate that avatar, so it feels present and it feels like it’s with you.”
Microsoft also plans to use these avatars in its immersive 3D meetings that it’s been rolling out to VR headsets along with Meta. Microsoft is creating a Teams client for Meta Quest headsets that will allow people to hold meetings in VR using 3D avatars with floating emoji and animations like the ability to raise hands.
