Enhanced avatar interactions with eye tracking in VR games

Real human using Eye Tracking in VR — he is better than an avatar!  When you add eye tracking to VR, games start to become really immersive.

One of the most impactful features added in VR using eye tracking is the enhanced avatar interaction. A typical avatar representation in VR is a static feeling character, constantly staring straight ahead with lifeless eyes.

Eye tracking has the ability to bring an avatar to life a little bit more by actually showing other users where the avatar is looking.

Tobii Eye Tracking technology makes it possible to track the movements of the players’ eyes and recreate this in the form of more realistic looking eye movements displayed on the avatar.

Imagine if we could reflect human behavior more accurately in virtual reality games. After all, human interaction revolves a lot around eye contact and reading other humans reactions. 

In virtual reality today, the player is required to turn his or her head towards the object or the other player he or she wants to interact with. This can feel rather clumsy and unnatural. 

Eye tracking can help you merge with your character, making interactions with the virtual world become more seamless — Just glance at another character in the VR world and watch the character react naturally. 

Our friends at Against Gravity has made an eye tracking implementation in their game Rec Room showing how eye tracking may either help you — or betray you, showing your real intentions in a game of Poker in a multiplayer chat room. 

Looking at your opponents, you can actually see their reactions when they assess their hand. Does their gaze nervously dart from player to player or do they calmly keep their eyes on the prize pot? 

Throw at gaze

Gaze assisted throwing — hit the object you are looking at in a way that feels more like throwing in real life.

Natural interaction doesn’t only apply to the way you interact with other characters and avatars. Eye tracking can also assist with aiming, for example when throwing objects.

In order to hit your target in VR without eye tracking, your movements might need to become over-exaggerated, making them feel clumsy and inaccurate.

Using eye tracking, the game can better understand where you are looking, making aiming feel more realistic and consistent.