Vizrt has partnered with Dubai-based blinx Media: the first digital native storytelling hub in the MENA region, to launch an industry first TikTok Live livestream with advanced extended reality (XR) graphics.
   

This innovative livestream, hosted by various media personalities and regional influencers, is the first instance of content being created in a virtual studio, with audiences utilising TikTok's gifting capabilities to transform the virtual set in real-time.

For instance, a user gifting a virtual 'Galaxy' will see the studio transformed into a galactic animation, with their name dynamically displayed in 3D within the scene, amplifying audience interactivity, enhancing the viewer experience, and driving engagement.

These graphics are rendered in Unreal Engine with the whole XR experience powered and controlled by Vizrt's Viz Engine 5, a versatile and powerful real-time 3D graphics rendering and compositing engine. This includes Video I/O, the handling of tracking data from cameras, and the calculation of the video wall projection.

"With TikTok driving $400M in user gifting in the U.S. alone last year, this collaboration with blinx showcases the potential of real-time XR experiences to revolutionise industries like live media production, influencer-led initiatives, and branded digital engagement," shared Chris Black, Chief Marketing Officer at Vizrt.

This proof of concept marks the first instance TikTok's Live API being utilised with Viz Engine, with its interoperability broadening access to unique AR-driven content creation via the TikTok platform. This flexibility of Viz Engine is central to Vizrt's XR solutions – many of which are used by the world’s biggest broadcasters and entertainment channels to tell captivating AR stories with ease, all from a single, simplified interface.

Fadi Radi, Chief Creative Officer at blinx, commented: "Blinx is committed to pioneering gamification and fostering one-to-one interactions in live streaming. With this project, we’ve demonstrated technology that is years ahead of current real-time audience engagement features on platforms like TikTok. By integrating TikTok's API with Vizrt's XR capabilities, we're redefining how people connect with live content. This fusion creates an entirely new experience, where gifting players and viewers actively shape immersive, ever-evolving visual narratives within a dynamic virtual environment they control."