Since 2020, nearly anyone who’s been online has probably heard of or seen a vtuber– a streamer with a virtual avatar that represents them, which they control to emote and interact with their audiences. The term Vtuber has evolved into a catch-all term that describes all types of virtual streamer personalities, sort of like a name for a species. In the realm of 2D characters, the most widely-known subspecies would be PNGtubers which are sound-reactive 2D images that can appear to talk based on microphone input. They are very comparable to talksprites from video games! A full Vtuber rigged model needs a lot of setup, like a webcam or Apple tracking hardware and the art itself is very complex to draw and rig. This means that PNGtubers have a simpler setup that demands less from your computer, and are often a lower-budget or even considered starter option.
You can have a PNGtuber and a Vtuber to use for different circumstances
Though PNGtubers are seen as a ‘basic model,’ most Vtubers will have at least one PNGtuber option they will use if they don’t want to set up webcam tracking, or to show on their friends’ streams. Since PNGtubers tend to be simpler, they can be less demanding on CPU usage and still express emotions if you set things up carefully, using Veadotube Mini can really help this process.
PNGTUBERS
- Microphone Activated
- Simple looping animation
- Only needs OBS
VTUBERS
- Webcam Tracked
- Designed in layers for range of motion
- Puppeteered with mocap software, like Vtube Studio
As of writing this, you might find artists who will make images for use as a PNGtuber within the $100usd range from small indie artists. Vtuber models tend to add up to over $500 for the artist and rigging, since they both take a lot of work to plan and make! Think of it like online fashion, where PNGtubers are like regular outfits and full vtuber models are fancy outfits that can be an investment!
Start setting up a basic PNGtuber with just OBS by following this guide
And remember, pngtubers are vtubers. Vtuber is an umbrella term, it was originally short for Virtual YouTubers, but nowadays a lot of Twitch streamers use them. Not all vtubers have a pngtuber version of course, but a lot of streamers have multiple avatars to use depending on holidays or certain games.
A typical PNGtuber model will only have 2 states– Idle and Talking. Swapping into different “emotional states” or outfits will require more complex setup, so we highly recommend using Veadotube Mini to set up more complex talksprites! There are also options for ToonTubers, which does require a bit more animation and setup. Conversely, there are some live-capture vtuber templates and pre-rigged options like Vtuber Kit that will help as a midway between having motion tracking on a somewhat-custom model.
A lot of streamers will have a variety of models– this may include more than one PNGtuber variation, a 3D model, 2D models made with Character Animator or Live2D, or even a ToonTuber. If you’re a coder yourself, you can even experiment with coding your own toggles and puppeteer your own creation with your keyboard. TomThinks is a fantastic example of some really clever live tricks mixed with custom software. Unreal Engine is another wonderful way to start building, so catch Grif’s streams on Twitch to see it in action!
How do they make extra stuff happen?
Typically referred to as custom Twitch commands, you can use a tool like Triggerfyre to connect into OBS so that your chat can type commands and interact with your live stream. We have a Triggerfyre guide to help you get started with some custom commands. Gather your funny sounds and gifs, and let your chat bombard you!
