An Explanation Of The Metaverse Anyone Can Understand
If you aren’t interested in virtual reality or if you avoid most forms of technology but for the internet, don’t assume you are incapable of grasping the concept of the metaverse. Some think the metaverse is an hyper-interactive video game. Others have heard the metaverse is an alternat reality. You’ll hear plenty more about the metaverse in the years ahead as it takes shape. Let’s take a quick look at what we currently know about this artificial reality using plain terms anyone can understand.
The Metaverse Explained
The metaverse is best described as a virtual reality environment in which your avatar represents you as a metaverse participant. It is no secret that everyday life has been getting worse from 2019 onwards. The metaverse has the potential to dramatically improve quality of life and mental health, albeit through virtual reality. Living in the artificial world of the metaverse in one’s off-hours from work will likely prove quite rewarding for most, largely because it provides an opportunity to socialize with others with a virtual representation of oneself.
Though there is an argument to be made that the metaverse is an escape in which people vicariously live through avatars, most of those who work in the tech space insist it will be insanely popular. The bottom line is people have always been and always will be looking for an escape from reality. Let’s put the debate pertaining to the impact of the metaverse on the human condition to aside for a moment and focus on what the metaverse experience will be like.
Scraping the Surface of the Metaverse
At the current moment, Meta has revealed little about its upcoming metaverse virtual reality experience. However, it is known that the metaverse will consist of virtual property and shared social experiences in which individuals interact with one another through their selected avatars. Companies ranging from Nvidia to Unity, Kopin and Microsoft are likely to contribute to the creation and ongoing improvement of the metaverse virtual reality.
The nuance characteristics of this virtual escape have not yet been made available to the public as it is not a finished product. At the moment, we are aware it will be possible to buy virtual property in the metaverse, sell that property and possibly even trade it for other virtual commodities.
The Role of Holograms in the Metaverse
The initial videos released by meta make it clear holograms will be used on the platform. Meta users will interact with holograms, observe holograms in action and likely obtain entertainment value from holograms in other ways. The metaverse is also likely to include augmented reality components in addition to virtual reality and holograms. The augmentation of one’s environment through artful imagery that visually pops in three-dimensions will make the meta experience that much more immersive.
Are There any Roadblocks Ahead?
Indeed, there are. The metaverse is still in the making. Meta has provided little information about the project beyond the release of fictionalized videos portraying what the meta experience will be like. The limitations of virtual reality headsets is one hurdle to overcome. Some such headsets require a connection to a desktop computer. Some virtual reality participants also experience physical pain or motion sickness when spending too much time in the alternate reality. The same problems are posed by augmented reality glasses.
There is also the educational hurdle to overcome as the average consumer does not understand how virtual reality headsets work. Even if the metaverse is only popular with millennials and generation Z when it first debuts, it will eventually saturate society as virtual reality moves toward an inevitable mainstream tipping point.
Stay tuned. It won’t be long until the metaverse is here.
