Frank Biocca once said: “Virtual Reality is the first step in a grand adventure into the landscape of the imagination”.
With the great strides being achieved with the use of the internet, Frank was right, because apart from virtual reality (VR), we now have augmented reality (AR) and to cap it all, summing the beautiful growth of things, we have the Metaverse.
You might wonder, what is the metaverse? Is it real? Is it in use? Well, let’s find out.
What is the metaverse?
The metaverse has so many definitions, lots of people have their thoughts of what it is. Hence it cannot be defined by one person or company. It encompasses all, the universe, augmented reality, virtual reality, and the Internet.
Having said that, we would define the metaverse as an all-inclusive space that contains digital experience, a visible digital universe, along with millions of digital galaxies that you can teleport across. It’s like a connection of the physical and digital divide between actual and virtual reality.
The metaverse is more than just virtual reality, it also includes the things we see around us. For a platform to be termed a metaverse, it needs to have browsers, indexes, and destinations. The movie Ready Player One gives a fine example of what the metaverse is like.
Is the metaverse just about virtual reality?
Well, the metaverse is not just virtual reality, think of virtual reality as a form of technology that you can use in the metaverse. The thing about the metaverse is that it can be used on any device, think smartphone, laptop with, or without virtual reality.
The metaverse uses a combination of physical hardware and software to create an enveloping, immersive digital environment that makes your senses believe you are in a different place. This environment makes you feel you are in a metaverse. So, with the metaverse, it’s not just the use of VR lenses, the Internet, mobile networks, computers, and smartphones are access points to this “immersion giant”.
Is the metaverse already in use?
Firstly, a place where the metaverse exists is the game world. For game lovers, platforms like Roblox and others give game users the feeling of building their network and creating their characters on the platform.
Secondly, the music industry. Due to the pandemic and its restrictions, concerts and large shows have been restricted. But with the presence of the metaverse, it shows that COVID has no hold on concerts! Celebrities like John Legend, Arianna Grande, and Future are also creating magical sensations with immersive performance.
Thirdly, schools are not skipped on this list. Schools already familiar with AR and VR would be making use of the metaverse to enhance the learning experience for their students.
Fourthly, crypto mining and cryptocurrencies play a great part in the metaverse, persons already purchase lands in the metaverse using cryptocurrency. In the game Roblox, players create and sell their creations thus making money but they also reinvest into the environment by purchasing other players’ creations and other things they need in the game thus creating an economy that circulates and is sustainable as money flows in and within the system.
Finally, the fashion industry has also keyed into the use of the metaverse by creating virtual clothing which avatars in the metaverse can wear.
Granted, in some of these areas, the concept of the metaverse is slowly being introduced but with the growth in technology, it’ll be a fast-paced environment soon. Even the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is confident in his goal to turn Facebook into not just a social media platform but a metaverse company.
So, remember, if you know about virtual reality, augmented reality, then you can always see that the metaverse is a combination of all that in a more immersive experience, it is the universe of the internet. Ask yourself, am I ready to experience this mind-blowing sensation?
