The Metaverse is a fiction future internet based on immersive virtual worlds, virtual reality, and augmented reality. It isn’t currently available, but the idea is that it will enable individuals to work, play, communicate, study, buy, and do other things via a single virtual experience.
Huge computer corporations such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google, game businesses like as Epic Games, and even big brands such as Nike and shops such as Walmart are all competing for ownership of the Metaverse or access to rich virtual marketplaces. Facebook famously called itself Meta in order to emphasise its emphasis on the construction of the upcoming Metaverse.
The Meaning of the Metaverse
The term “metaverse” is a combination of the terms “meta” and “universe,” and it first appeared in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science fiction book Snowcrash. The phrase was used in that novel to describe an immersive virtual world accessible through goggles, in which individuals were represented by personalised avatars and interacted in a realistic virtual setting.
Outside of science fiction, the actual Metaverse is a possible progression of the internet that individuals would access using VR headsets, augmented reality, and more traditional technologies such as personal computers and phones.
Unlike the social-based web2, or even the hypothetical decentralised web3, where the internet is experienced through websites and communication is facilitated through services such as Zoom and Discord, the Metaverse would be centred on an immersive virtual world or worlds in which users are represented by custom avatars.
In the metaverse, what can you do?
The Metaverse’s central premise is that it will allow you to enter a digital world using a VR headset, interact with friends and strangers, enjoy virtual experiences such as games, learn new things, shop for both physical and virtual items, and do just about everything else you currently do on the internet.
The Metaverse will be a large network of dynamic 3D worlds that you will be able to freely travel between for work, pleasure, and everything in between.
Can You Experience the Metaverse Right Now?
The Metaverse hasn’t arrived yet, although many of its components currently exist in different ways. Some businesses have even begun to refer to their goods as metaverses.
Epic Games, for example, has referred to its battle royale game Fortnite as a metaverse since it enables players to connect via virtual avatars, has crossovers with major media companies, and has even staged virtual concerts and other events. Epic has also collaborated with Lego to create a kid-friendly metaverse.
Another game that simulates how it could feel to browse the Metaverse in the future is VR Chat. It is a game in which participants are represented by personalised virtual avatars and may explore different virtual worlds and communicate with one another through VR headsets or a less intense PC experience.
Other games, such as Rec Room and Facebook’s Horizon Worlds, provide similar experiences, allowing you to engage, chat, and play games with other people using a virtual reality interface.
What Is the Metaverse’s Link to VR Headsets and the Oculus Quest?
Because it allows for a more immersive experience, virtual reality is an important part of the Metaverse. While the Metaverse will most certainly be accessible through a range of devices, including computers and smartphones, the experience will be centred on virtual and maybe augmented reality.
Companies like as Facebook and Microsoft have established themselves as driving forces in the creation of the Metaverse, with Facebook in particular having a significant investment in virtual reality.
The Oculus Quest, or Meta Quest, does not now give access to the Metaverse and will not be necessary in the future, but it is an example of the kind of low-cost standalone VR gear that will allow Facebook’s vision of the Metaverse to become a reality.
If you want to see what it’s like to engage with an immersive virtual environment while you’re waiting for the Metaverse to arrive, the Oculus Quest is a fantastic place to start. It’s a standalone VR headset, so it doesn’t need an expensive computer to function, and you can use it to explore Facebook’s Horizon Worlds and other virtual experiences.
