Best VTuber Software for YouTubing as a Character.
With the rise in reach of anime and games like Genshin Impact, stylized 2D characters are more popular than ever. And thanks to advances in technology, you can moonlight as an anime character yourself. Like.
Vuebing has never been easier with easy-to-use apps for creating and managing cool virtual avatars. But what is Vtuber? And what are the best apps for becoming one of them? Let’s find out.
What Is VTubing and How Do You Get Started?
Showing off your real face can be a daunting task for a content creator. Introverts have a particularly hard time dealing with a constantly pointed camera. Many YouTubers choose not to reveal their personal details, which can alienate them from viewers.
Wtubing used to be very difficult to get into, but now better software and more powerful computers have made it much more manageable. You can inexpensively get a 3D model created by an artist from Fiverr and then use motion capture software to express your face and track your hands. All good animation software has to do is use this data to animate the character and you’re done.
Some Vtubers even use a voice changer to create a virtual voice that matches the anime aesthetic better. Still others completely abandon motion tracking and use an AI algorithm to control the character. Kizuna AI is the first and most famous example of an AI powered Vtuber.
1. Animaze by Facerig
Probably the easiest Vtubing software to get started with is Animaze. Instead of fiddling around with motion tracking and animating the entire body, the amazing Facerig tool only focuses on the face. This means you don’t have to buy an expensive VR (Virtual Reality) headset and other equipment needed to capture full body motions.
Animaze also offers a variety of ready-made digital avatars, allowing you to get started right away using just your webcam. Its face tracking technology accurately reproduces the facial expression of a virtual character with support for real-time voice processing, which is incredibly useful for streamers. Because it uses Live 2D Cubism technology, avatars show fluid and realistic dynamic animation.
Along with PC, Animaze is available as an iPhone app that offers a stripped-down feature set that works quite well nonetheless. Unfortunately, the Android version is not available.
2. Vroid Studio
Vroid Studio is just a 3D character creation tool. Simple and easy to use, it has all the features you need to create an anime style Vtuber avatar. You can start from scratch or use a preset to start building your Vtuber model.
The best part is that the software is completely free. You can download it from a digital store like Steam or directly from its website without paying a dime. As an added bonus, Vroid studio is also cross-platform, supporting both macOS and Windows computers. The mobile version works on both iOS and Android, giving you the ability to create and customize 3D anime characters on your phone.
3. Vtube Studio
Vtube Studio is a great Vtubemaker for new streamers with an interesting approach. Just like Animaze, it forgoes full body motion capture and hand tracking in favor of simple face capture technology.
It uses a smartphone (both Android and iOS supported) to lip sync the Live 2D Cubism character’s lips with your real facial expression, creating a smooth animation. The software itself runs on a PC (again, compatible with both Windows and Mac), allowing you to further customize your animated avatar.
Vtube Studio goes out of its way to be accessible to beginners by offering out-of-the-box support for OBS (Open Broadcasting Software). Since most content creators these days use OBS to stream their videos live to platforms like Twitch, it makes for a seamless transition. You can download Vtube Studio for free from Steam and get started right away.
4. Luppet
Many people love the simplicity of Animaze but are put off by the lack of hand tracking. Other approaches tend to be less accurate and versatile, which puts serious Vtubers in a difficult position.
This is where Luppet shines. A premium Vtuber maker, Luppet combines Leap Motion with webcam tracking to create high quality animated avatars. It has all the features you would expect from a Vtuber software, such as a set of character customization options and expression shortcuts.
Its lip sync and webcam calibration are second to none, along with an intuitive user interface that is easy to use even for beginners. If you’re willing to go all out for a better Vtuber app, Luppet is the way to go.
5. VSeeFace
New to the space, VSeeFace is a great Vtubing app for those who want quality without having to get into technical details. It’s essentially a hand-tracking VRM similar to the Luppet that Leap Motion uses. Its unique feature is automatic expression detection.
Unlike other similar applications, VSeeFace can recognize facial expressions directly from webcam videos using powerful algorithms. The smallest details, such as blinking, the position of the eyebrows and mouth, can be tracked with high accuracy. The result is natural and vibrant avatars that perfectly reflect your real actions.
This means that instead of using hotkeys to run preset expressions, you can rely on the software to capture your actual expressions while streaming. This makes VSeeFace a great Vtuber creation tool for beginners who want real results without having to learn the mechanics of 3D animation.
6. Wakaru
Wakaru is often touted as the best Vtubing software by most guides, and with good reason. It offers face control, head posture control, eye capture, mouth shape capture, and real-time gesture tracking. And all this without a LeapMotion device or a virtual reality headset, using only your PC’s webcam. If that’s not enough for you, you can even replace it with your phone’s camera.
Sounds too good to be true? Well yes and no. While Wakaru does a reasonable job of animating the virtual avatar based on webcam footage, it’s not particularly smooth or accurate. This is not his fault – without accurate data coming from specialized virtual reality devices, it is impossible to perfectly reproduce your actions.
So while Wakaru is a great virtual avatar app, it can’t be considered a full Vtubing app for serious live streaming. If you just want to try your hand at being a Vtuber, Wakaru might be a good place to start. Just be sure to upgrade to a more powerful tool once you decide to get serious about Vtube.
What is the Best Vtuber Software?
When considering which Vtuber software is best for you, it’s important to keep your needs and goals in mind. If all you want is to watch an anime character on Vtube without paying too much attention to the quality or accuracy of the animation, Wakaru is a great way to start.
If you’re looking for more expressive faces without having to invest in VR hardware, apps like Animaze or Vtube Studio are your best bets. This way you will be able to control your customizable 2D avatar using your webcam.
But for those who want to go pro with their Vtube, better tools are needed. Applications such as Luppet and VSeeFace use Leap Motion technology to create animations that are brighter and more detailed than is possible with webcams alone. It might cost you a little initially, but it’s worth it in the long run.
No matter which direction you choose, WTubing is easier than ever. Once upon a time, you needed to create 3D models and tweak them in Blender using complex plugins to synchronize them with the visual flow. Now you can simply select any Vtuber software from this list and launch Vtuber right away.
Best VTuber Software for YouTubing as a Character
Best VTuber Software for YouTubing as a Character