Now more than ever, consumers are seeking more engaging and interactive online experiences. This is particularly relevant for ecommerce, where traditional 2D interfaces feel flat and impersonal. Instead, imagine stepping into a virtual boutique or showroom from the comfort of your home and interacting with products as if they were physically present. 

Research shows that 66% of consumers are comfortable with shopping in immersive 3D spaces. That number increases to 72% for younger consumers and 80% for gamers. (About 90% of Gen Z, which will account for almost all consumer spending growth through 2035, identify as gamers.)

As more businesses turn to immersive 3D experiences, they need to focus on personalization to unlock their space’s potential and allow users to feel present and represented within the digital environment. This is where Ready Player Me (RPM) becomes relevant. 

What is Ready Player Me?

Ready Player Me is a cross-game avatar platform that allows users to create a digital identity that they can use consistently across virtual worlds, games, and applications. Instead of having to settle for a default avatar or create a new custom avatar every time you visit a new site, RPM lets users create a single, personalized avatar that travels with them across compatible experiences. 

Why should ecommerce businesses care?

For ecommerce businesses, RPM’s portability and personalization give businesses an advantage because it creates familiarity for visitors from the word ‘Go’. This means that RPM users enter immersive 3D virtual stores as their own unique digital self. The underlying idea here is that in immersive 3D spaces, avatars matter. They function as an initial shift toward personalization that brings key advantages:

• Enhanced sense of presence and identity for shoppers: Seeing an avatar that represents visitors within your space creates a stronger feeling of “being there.”
• Increased engagement and connection with the brand: When shoppers feel present and connected, they are more likely to explore, interact with products, and spend more time in your virtual store.
• Potential for personalized shopping experiences: Certain virtual experiences become easier and more impactful with a visitor’s “digital twin.” For example, a virtual try on with an avatar can make buying decisions easier for clothing and beauty products.

Avatars in iR Studio

iR Studio has several avatar options, including a native Ready Player Me integration. Of course, there is a default avatar–a plain grey being. iR Studio users can also create custom avatars within the platform itself. This isn’t the full RPM option, but it still gives users customization options. Finally, there is the RPM integration.

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Let’s take a quick look at the different avatar creation options and how to access them.

From the dashboard

• Login to your iR Studio account.
• Click on the ‘Account Details’ link in the lower left. This takes you to the account settings page.

• Click the pencil next to the icon in the ‘Your Avatar’ setting.
• This opens a new window. Click the blue ‘Create Avatar’ button to create a new avatar. Or if you already created one you can select a different avatar from one in the list.

• The next window gives you the option to login to your Ready Player Me account. Once you login, iR Studio pulls in any RPM avatars you already created and you can select the one you want to use with your account. If you want to create an RPM account, you can also do that here.

• You can also create a new avatar for your iR Studio account here without signing in to RPM. Click “Create a New Avatar”, which open a new window with all the different options.

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From a 3D space

For those visiting a 3D space it’s helpful to know where to go to access these same features. 

• Click on the ‘Profile’ button at the bottom of the screen. This opens a new window.

• To change your avatar, click on the pencil next to the avatar icon. This opens another window.

• Here you can select your preferred avatar. Notice that the list of available avatars is the same as those from the iR Studio dashboard. Clicking on the ‘Create Avatar’ button starts the same workflow seen above.

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Final thoughts

Avatars are the frontline of personalization in the immersive 3D world. While ecommerce vendors look for ways to personalize content for buyers, avatars give individuals a way to self-select their personalization. With Ready Player Me, users can create avatars to serve a range of purposes and provide different forms of personalization in different contexts. iR Studio allows these same users the ability to engage with a wide range of immersive 3D spaces in a way that feels consistently personal.

Immersive 3D is the future of ecommerce. Start building your experience today with a free 30-day trial of iR Studio.