With the development of technology and AI we’re facing interesting and new modes of living – also in the world of technology. Tech developers have combined our real world lives with the ones online. This intriguing combination is called the metaverse.
The basics of the metaverse
First, we should understand the basics of the metaverse. What is it and what can we use it for? The metaverse is essentially a further development of the internet as we all know and love. The metaverse is a place where we can meet, chat and be social – all aspects of our everyday life are gathered here, whether it’s different apps or websites we use, they can be collected in the metaverse.
The big difference between our regular use of devices (like our smartphones or computers – we already have everything on there) is that the metaverse combines our regular routines with VR (aka virtual reality). This is e.g. a VR headset that looks like skiing goggles only with a screen instead of normal glass.
Possibilities with the metaverse
Advocates of the metaverse say that this technology will help people tend their social lives, and stay entertained with culture – they will furthermore be able to work from home with the metaverse. All they need is an internet connection and a VR headset.
Advocates of the metaverse imagine that you can:
- Have work meetings with your colleagues as if you’re in the room with them
- Go to art galleries and museums
- Attend concerts
- Go for a walk in the (virtual) park
- Play videogames and (virtual) boardgames together with other players
The interesting thing about the metaverse is that you can meet people from all over the world and still sit in your own living room. You can e.g. go to a Coldplay concert held in Los Angeles, while you’re sitting at home in France and chat with people from South Africa and India – with no interruptions or interference. And it’s a lot cheaper in time and money as well.
Mechanisms of the metaverse
So, how does it work, you might wonder. As we’ve briefly mentioned before, it essentially works the same way as the internet we use today. The big difference is the collaboration between devices. In VR and the metaverse, both platforms, services, devices, and websites have to work together in order for us to use them for a seamless experience.
Right now, we can access websites and online platforms with a single device and an app – which usually is your browser. The metaverse makes this experience more lively and capturing, as it replaces the “2D” device (like a tablet) with the “3D” metaverse where you can access the same websites etc. but also be social and entertained in a brand new way.
Many tech enthusiasts dream of a future where you can use the metaverse to more than an upgraded browsing experience – where you essentially don’t have to leave the metaverse at all, and all your commitments are gathered in one. To some, it could sound like a wild science fiction novel, but the (virtual) reality is a bit different; it may not even be that far away. As we’ve explored, you can already use it for many things, and this gives developers a solid foundation for further development of the technology.
Now we only need to understand how it actually works.
Metaverse 101
To make the metaverse a bit more tangible, we’ll divide the mechanisms into four fundamental pillars*.
VR and AR
It’s to no surprise that VR is one of the pillars of the metaverse. This creates the framework for the user and thus the box which we fill with the other pillars. There are many different versions of VR headsets and anyone who wishes to get one can do so.
The other aspect of the pillar is AR also known as augmented reality. This will also play an important role in the future of the metaverse; AR combines the real world with the virtual meaning that you can see your surroundings but with features from the virtual world. Apple has recently launched an AR headset where they promote it as “spatial computing” and thus blends digital content with your physical surroundings so you e.g. can see incoming texts or calls on the screen in the headset, rather than on your phone in your pocket.
IoT
Internet of Things is a collaboration between our devices and platforms. It’s the term for the connection between our smart devices that are connected to the same Wi-Fi.
In the realm of the metaverse, enthusiasts believe that IoT and AR will play a big role in the connectivity between the real world and the virtual world. Let’s say you’re in a work meeting via your VR headset, and thus not completely aware of your surroundings. IoT should then connect your headset with your other smart devices to alert you if things happen around you. This way it becomes safer to use the headset – both for you and your surroundings.
Blockchain
[Blockchain](/blog/what-is-the-blockchain “Learn more about blockchain here”) is a term almost everyone has heard somewhere, but what exactly is it? In short, blockchain stores information as a database. It’s very difficult to delete or remove this data from the blockchain which makes it more secure – this makes it a great asset in good cybersecurity. If and when the metaverse develops into AR and you e.g. have more personalization in your metaverse, this information can be stored in a blockchain. However, tech companies that develop and retail VR- and AR headsets will probably have their own database, where your information will be stored rather than via a blockchain.
3D modeling
Lastly we’ll look at 3D modeling. This will create the world you enter when you put on your headset; the surroundings, which can be a replica of your living room, a meeting room or a concert venue. The headsets will be able to recreate e.g. your living room using cameras, which also makes it safer for you to walk around and move in your space; 3D modeling will help you step into a more realistic world where you can be entertained, work and be social with people from around the world.
Is the metaverse the future of technology?
It’s quick development and with the evolution of AI, VR and AR more users will likely try out the metaverse. It will make social activities and work even more flexible than it already is which is appealing to many.
There are of course pros and cons to the metaverse;
- You can speak with anyone, no matter their geographic location.
- You have access to a great array of cultural experiences
- Physical borders and limits are removed completely
Some cons may be risks of:
- Addiction to being in the metaverse rather than in the real world
- Big amounts of data collection and thus a risk of losing personal data in data breaches
- Hurting yourself if not cautious with your surroundings
- Isolation from real-life friends and family
The metaverse is a world of wonder and endless possibilities but we should remember that there is a world outside our VR headsets and the grand metaverse.
Caroline Preisler
Caroline is a copywriter here at Moxso beside her education. She is doing her Master's in English and specializes in translation and the psychology of language. Both fields deal with communication between people and how to create a common understanding - these elements are incorporated into the copywriting work she does here at Moxso.
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