To be (me) or not to be?: photorealistic avatars and older adults

The growth of commercial VR technology has fueled an interest in user embodiment, where a graphical representation of the user, a virtual avatar, enables a more immersive experience and richer interaction. Recent research suggests that older adults are increasingly playing digital games. These factors, combined with the rapidly ageing population, means it is vital that avatar creation software responds to the needs of older adults. Our study seeks to address these needs, by better understanding older adult opinions about virtual avatars that are photorealistic, i.e. bearing likeness to their physical appearances. In our exploratory study, we interviewed six older adults aged between 70 and 80 years and asked them to evaluate 18 photorealistic avatars created with three different commercial avatar creation tools. Results showed that participants were not satisfied with their custom-made avatars due to them missing characteristic features. The results also showed that there was major consensus towards using photorealistic avatars across a range of virtual environments.