Vtuber CodeMiko reveals the incredible technology behind her Twitch streams

Emma Hill
CodeMiko streaming

Popular Vtuber CodeMiko provided her fans with an exclusive look at what really goes on behind the scenes during her much-loved Twitch streams. 

The amount of planning and prep required to set up a livestream is complicated for any content creator. However, it can be a whole other ballgame for Vtubers.

For these streamers, they not only have to organize their computer setup but they also have to create their own 3D virtual world using various pieces of technology, including motion capture suits and computer graphic engines.

One of the most popular Vtubers is South Korean-American Twitch streamer CodeMiko, who gave her viewers a brief look into some of the work that goes into building her persona for her livestreams.

CodeMiko streaming on Twitch
After being laid off from working at Nickelodeon due to the pandemic, CodeMiko took up streaming full time.

CodeMiko shows off her virtual setup

On May 12, CodeMiko gave fans a rare glimpse into what goes on into how she and her team animate her avatar for her livestreams.

Splitting her camera frame in two, she showed viewers a side-by-side comparison of her avatar with herself IRL wearing a motion capture suit, gloves, and headband.

She then demonstrated how her suit tracks her movements along with her facial expressions which are then recreated in avatar form in real-time. Although, it can be “laggy” at times.

Not only that, CodeMiko showed that one of her gloves also contains a built-in selfie cam that allows her to take “Instagram photos.” Although, she took the opportunity to use the cam to show off her virtual room leaving fans blown away with the technology used to create her animated world.

In the early days of her career, CodeMiko created her avatar herself using Unreal Engine. However, as her popularity soared, she acquired an engineer, animator, publicist, personal assistant, and a manager to help her with the workload.

There were fears over the misuse of the Vtuber tag by some popular streamers and the damage it could have on up-and-coming Vtubers. However, with the Vtuber community continuing to thrive thanks to characters like CodeMiko, we could yet see more Vtubers making their way to Twitch.