Now more than ever, there is a lot of talk about the Metaverse, a shared, permanent digital environment where users can do just about anythi...
But is the Metaverse real at the moment? In a nutshell: the answer is NO. At present, we do not have a common Metaverse, in the sense in which it is seen by the majority of possible and already existing users of the Multiverse. Understanding the key differences between these two concepts is essential.
The concept of the Metaverse may be fully realized in about ten years, as it requires cooperation between the biggest players in the world of technology. However, several companies are already working on building parts of what could eventually become an interconnected Metaverse.
Epic Games, the company that developed Fortnite, hosted virtual concerts of famous artists such as Ariana Grande and Travis Scott in their game, as well as showing movie trailers and music debuts. The company is developing photorealistic digital doubles with its MetaHuman Creator, which any user could potentially use to customize their Metaverse avatar in the future.
In Roblox, users can build houses, work, and play various scenarios among themselves. The company has also teamed up with skate shoemaker Vans to create Vans World (a virtual skate park where players can dress up in Vans gear) and launched the Gucci Garden, a place to try on and shop for world-famous brands.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently said the company is working to create an "enterprise metaverse" to bridge the digital and physical work worlds.
Investment company Roundhill Investments created an exchange-traded fund (ETF) to track and profit from Metaverse companies.
Computer chip maker Nvidia Corp has developed its Omniverse platform to create simulations of real buildings and factories.
And, of course, Meta (formerly Facebook) has also taken its place in the Metaverse with its own virtual reality social media platform, Horizon, which is currently in beta. The company also has a project called Living Maps that will create 3D maps of the world using augmented reality (AR).
Metaverses should not be limited to one platform. Your avatar should be able to move from virtual reality (VR) to 3D and AR apps on your smartphone, depending on the circumstances and your goals. What matters is that there is a continuous user experience in the Metaverse.
As AR and VR become more popular and high-quality, more affordable headsets that make virtual worlds a reality for more users, the Metaverse seems to be around the corner. Therefore, it's time to think over the ways of entering this new wonderful world, so as not to jump into the last car later.
So you've decided to take the red pill and see how far the Metaverse rabbit hole takes you. Now what?
To get started you need equipment
The good news is that you don't have to run out and buy high-tech equipment that will cost a lot of money. Your smartphone is enough to enter the Metaverse for the first time. The only caveat is that you may not get much out of this meta experience, as you miss out on the immersive aspect that really makes the Metaverse so impressive.
A smartphone is great for casual introductions, but for the full experience, a VR headset or, if you don't want to go all the way, a pair of AR smart glasses is essential. Choosing the right VR headset is perhaps one of the most important factors that can affect your experience. Depending on which headset you have, you will also be able to communicate with other users through your chosen avatar and show off your emotions.
When it comes to headsets, Meta (formerly Facebook) is well ahead of the competition as its Meta Quest 2 remains the most requested headset on the market, followed by Playstation VR and then Valve Index. Demand for VR headsets has grown over the past few years, but it's predicted to grow even more thanks to all this Metaverse talk.
After a decade of VR hype, it seems like companies are catching up, and not just in games. Apps have popped up in a number of sectors including fashion, music, education, sports, and more, resulting in a surge in demand.
This trend is likely to continue as more platforms move into virtual reality and enter the Metaverse for the first time.
Metaverse everywhere
Corporate business. With a significant portion of the world's population moving to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, online work has already become a reality for many of us. The Metaverse will simply be an extension of what Meta has already tried to show us with Horizon Workrooms. Other giants like Microsoft are following suit, and expect more companies to try to send their employees into the Metaverse.
Games are not only fun, there you can make new friends and even earn money. That's why games like Axie Infinity in Sandbox, Illuvium in Decentraland are at the forefront of the Metaverse race. With a strong social network and a decentralized economy at its core, these platforms will attract the most users to the Metaverse.
Entertainment. The Metaverse takes entertainment to the next level, from connecting with real users and getting to know AI-controlled avatars to watch your favorite artists perform at a virtual concert. For example, Sensorium Galaxy, created in collaboration with some of the world's leading artists such as David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, Steve Aoki, and others, attracts a whole universe of fans.
Real estate. While real estate may be out of reach, for now, buying a virtual property can make you very, very rich. For example, Decentraland broke another record in the Metaverse after a "virtual estate" in it was sold for $2.4 million. And much more can be bought in virtual worlds such as The Sandbox: houses or even yachts, equipped with helipads and jacuzzis.
But really, when it comes to the Metaverse, you can find whatever you want in it, regardless of your area of interest. With so many players in this mix, imagination is the only limit to the possibilities of virtual worlds.
It may take years, if not a whole decade, for a full-fledged Metaverse. There are still many technical hurdles to overcome, starting with the fact that there is no online infrastructure in the world that can support millions (or even billions) of people using the Metaverse at the same time.
On top of that, an uninterrupted and reliable Internet connection is a key building block of the Metaverse, because the buggy, "downloadable" scenario of the virtual world is far from what the real Metaverse should look like. And technologies such as 5G and edge computing are still under development and cannot currently meet the demands of a complex infrastructure like the Metaverse.
