As virtual idol groups multiply, can any match PLAVE's success?

Members of virtual girl group OWIS / Courtesy of All My Anecdotes

The virtual idol market is expanding fast, and the field is getting crowded.

A string of new groups have debuted in recent months, staking a claim in a space that one act has come to define — and none of them are close to catching it yet.

OWIS, a five-member girl group under All My Anecdotes, the label founded by Kiss of Life creative director Lee Hae-in, debuted on March 23 with EP "Museum." While the real identities behind the virtual avatar members — Serene, Haru, Soi, Summer and Yuni — have not been officially confirmed, it is widely reported to include former NMIXX member Jini, former Lovelyz member Ryu Su-jeong, BigHit Music producer Adora, "Produce 101" contestant Lee Ruri and Lee Hae-in herself.

B:DAWN under Duri Entertainment followed on May 6 with debut single "Beom." The group's five members — Dojin, Ion, Kangho, Woorim and Hansol — are built around the concept of former competitive athletes.

The latest entry is MiiWAN, a five-member boy group under Abyss Company, whose debut album "Middle.i" drops Tuesday. A pre-release track, "Pluma," is already out.

Virtual K-pop boy band MiiWAN / Courtesy of Abyss Company

Emulating PLAVE

Larger companies tested the water earlier.

SM Entertainment launched Naevis, a virtual figure borrowed from the aespa universe, as a solo artist in September 2024. Her debut single "Done" hit 1 million YouTube views in less than a week, but activity since then has been sparse.

HYBE, through AI audio subsidiary Supertone, also debuted four-member girl group SYNDI8 in June 2024. The group drew attention for its voice synthesis technology but built little fanbase traction, and an early plagiarism controversy compounded its difficulties.

No groups so far have matched the impact of PLAVE.

The five-piece virtual boy group, managed by tech startup Vlast, debuted in March 2023 and has reached commercial success unseen by any other virtual act.

The group's third mini album, "Caligo Pt. 1," came out in February 2025 and sold more than 1.03 million copies in its first week, the first for a virtual K-pop act. Eight months later, single album "PLBBUU" set another record with 1.09 million units sold, and its lead track "DASH" entered the Billboard Global 200 at No. 195.

The group also sold out KSPO Dome and Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul — two of the largest venues in the country — during its 2025 Asia Tour, another unprecedented feat.

Members of virtual idol group PLAVE perform during the 2026 Weverse Con Festival at KSPO DOME in Seoul, June 6. Courtesy of Vlast

Importance of technology

Industry insiders note that the technological foundation behind PLAVE — the group's five members are portrayed by human performers in real time through motion capture technology, enabling live broadcasts, fan interactions and spontaneous moments during concerts — is what separates it from much of the field.

"What makes PLAVE different is that fans don't feel like they're interacting with a pre-produced character," a public relations manager at a major K-pop label told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity.

"Many companies can create virtual characters, but creating real connection is a different challenge. PLAVE succeeded because fans became attached not only to the characters but also to the personalities behind them," they said.

Culture critic Kim Hern-sik pointed to PLAVE's ability to appeal to younger audiences.

"Gen Z values character deeply, so they consume content centered on character," Kim said during a recent local broadcast interview. "What matters is not whether something is real or fake, but what kind of utility it provides them."

Virtual K-pop boy band PLAVE / Courtesy of Vlast

Challeges facing new virtual groups

The structural challenges facing newer groups are significant.

Real-time motion capture infrastructure requires heavy investment and years of R&D. Vlast's proprietary Virtual Slate production system, which synchronizes motion capture, audio and Unreal Engine recording in a single workflow, took years to develop.

Fan bases also accumulate gradually. PLAVE themselves opened with first-week sales of 27,000 copies before reaching the million mark two years later.

The group members also produce their own songs, write their own lyrics and develop their own choreography, generating a continuous cycle of content that feeds fan engagement in ways a strong concept alone cannot replicate.

The virtual idol market is projected to grow from around $2 billion in 2026 to $22.6 billion by 2035, leaving ample room for multiple acts to build audiences over time.

But what PLAVE has demonstrated is that technology, music quality and fan communication have to work together simultaneously — a combination that may be harder than expected to achieve for the crowded field in 2026.