A virtual reality apparatus comprises an image generator to generate images representing a virtual environment. The images are to be displayed to a user via a head mountable. The virtual environment includes an avatar representation of the user within the virtual environment so that the user's viewpoint of the virtual environment substantially corresponds to avatar's viewpoint corresponding to that user. The image generator is responsive to operation of user controls by the user to configure the hands of the avatar representing that user. The image generator is further configured to generate respective facial configurations of the avatar for display to other users viewing the virtual environment as a mapping of the configuration of the hands of the avatar, so that the hand configuration of the avatar corresponding to a user provide an indication, to that user, of the facial configuration of the avatar corresponding to that user.