You’ve probably cheered for someone who doesn’t exist. Imagine being a celebrity and never having a bad day.
Forever young, free from scandals, without breaks. That is a virtual idol. And honestly, it sounds perfect.
They seem to be a key part of the future entertainment industry. The numbers are hard to ignore. The virtual idol market was valued at $8.62 million in 2025 and is expected to reach $32.63 million by 2033. Their online relevance expands into real life: new faces of virtual idols in brand advertising and magazine covers, and more large-scale concerts all over the world.
“They look so real.” Exactly, that’s the huge selling point of virtual idols. And at a glance, everything looks very similar. Huge stages, thousands of fans and sparking lights …
Despite this, being a celebrity is never just about performing. It’ s about being human. Making mistakes, having emotions, and unexpected changes. Real celebrities have their own life experiences. Just like Justin Bieber experienced a career slump and relationship controversy, people don’t stop following. When Taylor Swift wrote about her ex-boyfriend in her songs, that is the story. These are all key elements that allow fans to resonate with them.
Looking back on the virtual idols, their appearance, voice and personality, almost everything about them is controlled by humans. In other words, we are the bosses of these virtual idols, what they look like depends on consumer preferences.
And here’s the catch: they’re not even fully virtual. Part of today’s globally popular virtual idols, such as PLAVE, their actions and singing are created by real people using motion capture and other technologies. The identities of these real performers are usually kept secret, with fans even comparing discovering their true identities to taking the “red pill”—a nod to the 1999 film The Matrix. So, which arises a simple question: Do fans love the visual appeal of virtual idols, or the soul behind them?
Virtual idols can be seen as a fascinating technological development, but they can never provide the same value as real people. Virtual idols might look perfect, but sometimes, perfect stops being interesting.
Han Tianyong 
Yinan Zhou 
Xinyue HOU