A new open beta for VRChat introduces a number of new features for testing, including remote control drones and a desktop selfie camera.
The drone feature is available to test for members of the service’s paid subscription program, VRChat+. Controls should be familiar to those who fly these types of remote control aircraft with a floating screen showing views from the drone and a pair of control sticks.
Another feature in active testing now is “selfie expression” for desktop-based VRChat+ subscribers to use with a webcam and basic face tracking. VRChat’s head of community Tupper called the feature “surprisingly effective” as it allows people using VRChat without a headset to express themselves in similar ways as if they had a VR headset on with face and eye tracking.
The latest beta also includes a dolly for long steady camera shots moving along a rail with adjustments for zoom, speed, focus and more. This feature is also gated behind the VRChat+ subscription.
Additional features in open testing, and not requiring a subscription, include turning off specific features in an instance like emoji, stickers, sharing pedestals, prints, and drones. VRChat also updated the user interface.
Testers can provide feedback on VRChat.com.
