A virtual place where we will spend more time than in the real world? For some, it sounds like a dream. For some, it sounds like a nightmare. But what exactly is the metaverse, and when will it arrive?
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What exactly is the metaverse? The simple answer is that no one knows for sure. There are many visions and ideas about what the metaverse could or should become, but as of today, there is no real consensus.
At its core, the metaverse is an online, 3D universe where users can communicate and interact with both the environment and other people. Access will most likely be through a computer or smartphone, assisted by a VR headset or another device that supports virtual or augmented reality. The aim is to create an immersive experience.
There are various ideas about what the metaverse experience should entail. In some early versions, users create an avatar—a digital representation of themselves. You can customize features like appearance and clothing to reflect your personality. Anyone who has played a video game knows how this works: you control a character who explores and interacts with the world, typically from a third-person perspective.
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Another vision for the metaverse is that you won’t need to create an avatar. Instead, you’ll experience everything from a first-person perspective, making it feel even more immersive.
The broader concept of the metaverse is to create an open world where you can live, explore, and interact, much like in a video game. You could attend virtual concerts or museums, shop, hang out with friends, try new sports, and engage in countless activities.
You might be able to buy a digital home for your avatar to live in and furnish it however you like. The potential for retail and commerce within the metaverse is vast. It could also provide new opportunities for remote work, likely driven by some form of digital currency powering the virtual economy.
However, entertainment and leisure will likely be the main reasons people visit the metaverse daily. In different themed metaverses, you could travel through time and explore other eras. The possibilities in the metaverse are limited only by imagination.
There are already several attempts to create metaverse-like environments. One early example is the game Second Life, where you create an avatar to socialize and interact in a virtual world. Various studios are now working on building their versions of the metaverse. It’s possible we’ll end up with many different metaverses, rather than one unified open world. This would mean a multiverse of metaverses, each with its own unique theme.
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Another ongoing debate is whether the metaverse should be proprietary or open-source. Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has shown significant interest in the concept, even renaming his company from Facebook to Meta. He also announced that Meta would invest $10 billion to develop an ecosystem for the metaverse. However, the reception for this venture has so far fallen short of expectations.
Different visions of the future metaverse are already present in popular culture. Movies like Ready Player One and The Matrix explore metaverse-like themes. In The Matrix, most people aren’t even aware that they’re living in a simulation or a metaverse. In Ready Player One, users access the metaverse with a VR headset, while in The Matrix, they connect through body implants. But the question remains: how many people would be willing to go that far?
The most obvious concern with the metaverse is similar to the overconsumption of any media, potentially leading to issues like addiction or reduced physical activity. It could also become a way for people to escape reality, avoiding real-life problems. However, these concerns apply to any form of technology.
On the other hand, the metaverse could also bring about something completely revolutionary and positive. It might become an immersive way to connect with friends who are physically distant or a way to experience things that aren’t possible where you live. It could transform shopping, social activities, and events like concerts.
When the internet became commercialized in the 1990s, few could have predicted what it would eventually evolve into. The same could be true of the metaverse. It may grow into something far beyond what we can currently imagine.
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