Aside from Facebook changing its name to Meta, one of the biggest announcements the company made was its expansion into the Metaverse. Promising a future full of virtual potential overlapped with fun and productivity, the Metaverse is extremely exciting. However, most people are not even aware of what it actually is and whether it is useful. If you’re part of the folks confused about exactly what the Metaverse is, I am here to shed some virtual light on it. So start reading as I tell you what is the Metaverse and whether you’re in it right now.

While we will begin by talking about the Metaverse, we will also dive into some interesting points. If you already know the former, then use the table below to skip to your needed section.

  • What Is the Metaverse?Meta vs Metaverse: What’s the Difference?When Is It Coming?What Are Some Examples of It?Are There Any Downsides to the Metaverse?

What Is the Metaverse?

While you may be tempted to believe Meta brought about the Metaverse, the concept has actually been around for a long time now. The word Metaverse was first used in the 1992 science fiction novel called Snow Crash. Much like the announcement, people in the novel donned avatars and interacted with each other in a virtual version of the world.

Like the movie above, the Metaverse not only wants to be a platform where people entertain themselves. It plans to be where people work, socialize with each other, and live about other aspects of their life. Technologies like VR and AR are extremely important to the Metaverse as they will help create an incredible sense of immersion of ‘being lost’ in that other universe.

If you understood the above section, then you might be confused about the Metaverse’s history. It’s easy to think Meta is the company that created the Metaverse. However, to repeat the above point, that is not the case. The term Metaverse is a term that was coined a long time ago even before the launch of Facebook which was in 2004.

Announcing @Meta — the Facebook company’s new name. Meta is helping to build the metaverse, a place where we’ll play and connect in 3D. Welcome to the next chapter of social connection. pic.twitter.com/ywSJPLsCoD— Meta (@Meta) October 28, 2021

When Is It Coming?

While you may think the Metaverse will take decades to get here, it kind of already is here. A good example of this were the age-old chatrooms when the Internet was in its early stages. A plethora of people online used to gather in a single digital room and chat with each other. However, almost nobody used their real names, instead going by custom-created aliases that worked as avatars. So even while most people didn’t know each other’s names, everyone was in that room bonding together. So while nobody had VR headsets, it was a different environment altogether. The Metaverse is cut from the same cloth and intends to let people get together in a virtual universe where they use their avatars to explore.

As I said above, the Metaverse is already among us in bits and pieces. There are some extremely popular examples of the Metaverse already in action. Have a read through the ones below and see if you recognize them.

One of the most prominent right now, Meta is on its way to pushing forward towards a complete Metaverse. However, the company began its journey much earlier than 2021 when Facebook bought Oculus back in 2014. Ever since then the company has been pushing forward with its plan to create a virtual universe. If you’ve put on an Oculus Quest 2, you must have already gone through some immersive VR games like VRChat or Rec Room and have experienced them for yourself. While those games aren’t by Meta, they are an amazing way to experience the Metaverse and one of the building blocks for it in the future.

Microsoft is another big company making advancements in the Metaverse. The company’s new project Microsoft Mesh is combining virtual and augmented reality into Microsoft Teams and much further. The purpose here is to incorporate the Metaverse into the productivity wing and create environments that can help people create 3D avatars and join meeting rooms and full virtual offices. However, aside from avatars, the company is also foraying into Holoportation, a technology that will help people create an ultra-realistic self of themselves to interact within Mixed Reality.

3. Fortnite

Fortnite is a heavy runner when it comes to advancing the Metaverse and only time will tell how far it gets in its journey.

If you’re a gamer in your 20s, you probably haven’t paid much attention to this online gaming platform. While appearing seemingly plain, Roblox actually houses a community that has resulted in it being valued at $68 billion. With over 47 million active players, Roblox has a wide assortment of worlds that are creating and advancing Metaverse.

A prominent example of this is Bloxburg, a user-generated 3D experience where users can build their own homes, own vehicles, and hang out with their friends. Some gamers take it to another level and roleplay as a completely different person. The description of Brookhaven, another Roblox experience goes ‘Be whoever you want to be in Brookhaven RP’. When it comes to creating experiences that users can get lost in, Roblox is another major platform that is used by millions every day. Based heavily on the structures of Metaverse, people use avatars to represent themselves or become completely different individuals to simply live alternate lives online. So the next time you open up Roblox, have a look around you and realize you’re part of the Metaverse.

5. Minecraft

Last but not the least, Minecraft is another world-building platform that is part of the Metaverse. This open-building game is played by millions of gamers every day. A part of what makes Minecraft so amazing is its creative potential. While you can settle by putting together just a simple house, people have gone much further than that. In fact, Reporters Without Borders used the platform to create an entire library that houses articles and works that have been banned in oppressive countries. That is just one of the examples that millions of active Minecraft users create to make this game feel like a complete universe.

However, there are always two sides to a coin and the Metaverse has it too. While these are naturally subjective, some of the generally agreed disadvantages of the Metaverse are as follows:

I mentioned that one of Metaverse’s strongest points is its ability to be accessed from multiple platforms. While that is true, the technology required to access still falls inside the mid to high-income tier. Even in the Metaverse’s most basic sense, it requires a fast and steady Internet connection coupled with a capable device that can access it. However, despite Internet’s widespread use, there are still areas that either don’t have access to the internet, or where internet access is very expensive. Top that with the fact that many folks also lack powerful hardware to access the Metaverse, it is difficult for people to even get on it much less enjoy it.

2. Privacy and Security Issues

Privacy is paramount in 2022. Considering that the Internet is basically a digital minefield, it’s incredibly easy to fall into scams and traps. However, more than money, data is the new currency. People with malicious intent online are set on stealing users’ data and then selling it to shady places.

While the Metaverse will potentially let you talk to millions of users worldwide, will it, and more importantly should it substitute for actual human contact? A big downside of immersive technologies is exactly that; Immersion. Put inside a headset, users quickly forget the reality they live in and embrace what’s in front of them. Since the Metaverse aims to reel users in completely, it’s safe to assume that people will spend more time inside it than outside.