Metaverse: The Next Generation Of Internet

Metaverse has been a topic of heated conversation recently.Technology companies including Microsoft, Facebook, Roblox, and Epic Games, have been making this a reality. But what is Metaverse? Let's check out the concept of Metaverse.

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Metaverse is a combination of various elements of technology -( along with virtual reality, augmented reality and video) in which users "stay" inside a digital universe.  In other words metaverse is an excellent fusion of bodily, augmented, and digital reality. The metaverse is a public virtual world that can be accessed through internet. It creates a “digital world ”by simulating human emotions and gestures. Metaverse can be stated as a virtual counterpart of the world we live.

In simple words metaverse is virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users. The term “metaverse” dates back to Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science-fiction novel “Snow Crash,” in which humans, as avatars, interacted in a three-dimensional virtual space. 

The rapid interest in the metaverse can be seen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The concept of metaverse could be a game-changer for the work-from-home shift amid the coronavirus pandemic. As more people started working and going to school remotely, there has been an increased demand for ways to make online interaction more creative. Instead of seeing co-workers on a video call grid, employees could join them in a virtual office.

Mark Zuckerberg has already renamed his company as Meta. Zuckerberg, the CEO of 'Meta' (formerly Facebook), estimates it could take five to 10 years before the key features of the metaverse become mainstream. But aspects of the metaverse currently exist. Ultra-fast broadband speeds, virtual reality headsets and persistent always-on online worlds are already up and running, even though they may not be accessible to all. The tech giant has already made significant investments in virtual reality, including the 2014 acquisition of Oculus. Meta envisions a virtual world where digital avatars connect through work, travel or entertainment using VR headsets. "The next platform and medium will be even more immersive and embodied internet where you’re in the experience, not just looking at it, and we call this the metaverse," said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg after revealing the company's rebranding.

Microsoft is another  software giant which already uses holograms and is developing mixed and extended reality (XR) applications with its Microsoft Mesh platform, which combine the real world with augmented reality and virtual reality. Earlier this month, Microsoft showed off its plans for bringing mixed-reality including holograms and virtual avatars to Microsoft Teams in 2022. Also in the works for next year: explorable 3D virtual connected spaces for retail and workplaces. The U.S. Army is currently working with Microsoft on an augmented reality Hololens 2 headset for soldiers to train, rehearse and fight in. Beyond that, Xbox Live already connects millions of video game players across the globe, too.

Big Tech firms are investing in cloud computing and VR companies in anticipation of its growth. It is unclear to what extent a true metaverse, which fully replicates real life, is possible or how long it would take to develop.