Roblox Announces New Video Feed, AI Tools & Updates

Roblox Introduces TikTok-Style Video Feed and Enhanced Creator Tools

The online gaming platform, Roblox, revealed plans for a new short-form video feed reminiscent of TikTok during the Roblox Developers Conference on Friday. This announcement was accompanied by details regarding increased creator earnings, innovative AI tools designed to facilitate content creation, and overall performance enhancements.

Introducing “Roblox Moments”

A beta version of the new short-form video experience, named “Roblox Moments,” is being released for users aged 13 and above. This feature empowers users to record gameplay footage, subsequently edit it, and share it within a scrollable feed.

Clips can be trimmed to a maximum length of 30 seconds, and users have the option to add music and descriptive text before publication.

The platform will also allow users to browse gameplay moments shared by the Roblox community, express reactions with emojis, and directly access experiences from within the videos.

Expanded Creator Capabilities

Later this year, Roblox intends to provide creators with API-based functionalities. These tools will enable the development of customized in-game creation and discovery systems.

For instance, creators will be able to highlight trending clips, showcase gameplay highlights, and establish leaderboards for achievements within their games, such as the fastest lap times in a racing simulation.

A phased rollout of this feature will allow Roblox to thoroughly test and refine its moderation systems, ensuring content remains age-appropriate. All uploaded content will undergo moderation prior to being publicly visible, and users can report any inappropriate videos they encounter.

Increased Earnings for Developers

Roblox is increasing the Developer Exchange (DevEx) rate, resulting in creators earning 8.5% more when converting their earned Robux into cash.

Currently, 100,000 Robux will now equate to $380 upon conversion, an increase from the previous rate of $350.

The company emphasized that this change demonstrates its commitment to fostering a thriving economy where more creators can achieve success. The average revenue for developers within the Top 1000 has risen to approximately $1 million, representing a 2.9x increase since 2020.

New AI-Powered Tools

Roblox is introducing a suite of new AI tools aimed at providing creators with greater artistic freedom, enhanced functionality, and intelligent development assistance.

Creators will soon be able to generate fully functional 3D objects, beginning with categories like vehicles and weapons. A prompt such as “a sleek, futuristic red sports car” will yield an interactive car model that can be driven and customized.

Enhanced Communication and Immersion

Next year, Roblox will launch real-time voice chat translation, instantly converting spoken language into the listener’s native tongue for players using English, Spanish, French, and German.

Furthermore, new text-to-speech and speech-to-text APIs will be available, enabling creators to develop more immersive and interactive experiences.

The text-to-speech API allows for instant narration and character dialogue, offering 10 customizable English voice presets, with more to come. The speech-to-text API supports voice commands, allowing players to trigger in-game actions with spoken words, such as “Fire!” to activate a cannon.

Performance and Fidelity Improvements

Roblox announced advancements in performance and visual fidelity, including a new “Server Authority” mode. This mode aims to reduce cheating and enhance the realism of in-game physics interactions.

Avatars will also exhibit more lifelike movements, including natural momentum during actions like running, climbing, and vaulting. Improvements are also planned for complex avatar actions, such as grasping objects with individual fingers.

The platform intends to implement optimizations that will allow for higher fidelity graphics across a wider range of devices without compromising performance or requiring additional effort from creators.

Ongoing Safety Measures

These updates follow Roblox’s recent expansion of its age-estimation technology to all users and its partnership with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) to introduce age and content ratings for games and apps on the platform. These developments are occurring amidst ongoing legal challenges related to child safety concerns.