What is the Metaverse?

Metaverse (n.) a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.

// The definition by Oxford Language.

Virtual worlds are nothing new. Humans have spent countless hours in Second Life, World of Warcraft, SIMS, and Roblox. The evolution and potential of virtual worlds has certainly got everyone’s attention. Today, we keep hearing about how VR will continue to change the way we work, play, and connect with one another. Now everyone is talking about the metaverse. Most people agree it will impact many people and industries. But what is the “metaverse”, really?

The word “metaverse” was originally coined by author Neal Stephenson in his sci-fi novel Snow Crash long before Facebook’s rebrand to Meta. Stephenson prophesied that characters would navigate realistic digital worlds as avatars.

Today, Metaverse is a marketing term. The word “Metaverse” was reintroduced by the technology industry in 2021 to categorize and reframe many of the recent developments in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and digital world-building over the last decade.

These virtual worlds include those that are accessible through head-mounted headsets like Meta’s Quest 2, the Microsoft Hololens, HTC Vive, MagicLeap, and Google Glass, or alternatively accessible through our phones and computers.

The word “metaverse” was rarely used until 2021 when it was reintroduced largely as a marketing term before Facebook’s rebrand.

Metaverse (n.) The virtual world that will usher in the next phase of the internet.

// The definition used by technology companies like Meta, Microsoft, etc.

Technology companies such as Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft, Apple, Snap, Roblox, HTC, MagicLeap, Epic Games, and many others believe that the Metaverse will unlock novel digital experiences across our personal and professional lives.

It’s no surprise that Meta (formerly Facebook) sees a massive opportunity. Mark Zuckerberg’s original insight for Facebook was that real people would want their real selves to be reflected online. It is a logical next step for social media to extend our digital selves into realistic, interactive avatars that mimic our bodies and environments.

The technology is not cheap to develop. Companies have invested billions to commercialize VR and AR hardware. Research and development continue to deliver more immersive experiences at a lower cost for consumer and professional use cases.

However, finding the metaverse “killer-app” has been elusive. Google’s Glass flopped. Snapchat’s Spectacles were a commercial disappointment. MagicLeap’s enterprise AR hardware has yet to meet investors’ expectations. The combination of expensive hardware and limited utility has hampered the hardware adoption required to help the metaverse reach its potential.

While most concede that these are still the early days for the metaverse, millions of people around the world already own a virtual reality headset. It’s really not a question of if, but a question of when these virtual worlds start providing real value and start making real money.

What do people use the Metaverse for?

Most people in the metaverse today play games and interact with friends.

Equipped with a virtual reality headset and hand-tracking controllers, gamers in VR swipe, slash, and shoot through virtual challenges often with other gamers. For example, in the app Rec Room, kids and adults can choose to play paintball, dodgeball, lasertag, and frisbee golf with each other, as well as hang out with friends in their private virtual dorm room.

Augmented reality (AR), where digital objects are superimposed on the real world, also offers promise for gamers. For example, Pokemon Go players run around the real world to capture digital pokemon in a virtual world revealed to them on their phone screen. While novel, AR has yet to break through with a use case that drives mass adoption.

What is the professional use case for the Metaverse?

It will be a long time before the metaverse displaces Zoom. However, companies will invest at an accelerated rate as the ecosystem develops. Early corporate adoption for the metaverse include digital offices, employee training simulations, remote offsites for team building, 3D modeling, and digital happy hours.

The metaverse is a valuable tool for businesses to create realistic experiences for employees and customers that scale. Hosting a virtual conference could lower the barrier to entry for global communities. A retail employee can learn how to respond to common complaints by repeatedly practicing with fake digital customers. A remote team can get to know each other by playing minigolf without leaving the living room.

Metaverse (n.) A shared, realistic, and immersive computer simulation of the real world or other possible worlds, in which people participate as digital avatars.

// The definition by Dictionary.com.

People who try virtual reality for the first time say the metaverse is immersive, fun, and perhaps physically uncomfortable after wearing the headset for too long.

It’s remarkable that the 3D effects are good enough to make people feel embodied in their virtual avatars, though. Sitting across the table from a coworker in VR feels like you’re actually in their presence (albeit pixelated).

It is this “brain believability” that wows us and will continue to drive metaverse investment and adoption.

At Vayu Labs, we believe that the “metaverse” will drive tremendous changes to how we live and work. We are a group of professionals, entrepreneurs, and operators who work together to discover and share new applications for this frontier technology. This blog will be a post to share what we learn, think, know, and dream up.