Roblox will soon allow players to make calls from within the game

At the gaming giant’s annual developer conference today (September 8), Roblox announced that a new in-game calling feature will be available to users by the end of the year.

The new Roblox Connect feature allows a user to call someone using the Roblox app, as long as that person is their friend on Roblox and has downloaded the Roblox app on their phone. The Roblox Connect request will appear on the friend’s phone like a call. When the recipient answers, they join the caller in the Roblox app for a conversation with the caller’s avatar.

Roblox Connect will leverage new facial animation features (announced last month) to make avatars appear more lifelike. Roblox said in a press release today that “behind the scenes, we’re essentially packaging a Hollywood-style motion capture studio into something that runs on a mobile phone or laptop – with no equipment or motion tracking points required.” “

A Roblox Connect call notification appears on a cell phone similar to a phone call.
Photo credit: Roblox

Roblox hopes the feature will make it easier for families and friends to communicate with each other, citing the example of a mother who received an important message for her daughter by entering the game with her. The platform also sees potential for the feature to connect musicians with their fans from avatar to avatar.

Roblox Connect will be available to age-verified users ages 13 and older by the end of 2023.