Here is a quick look at three important things you need to understand about the Metaverse in the simplest terms.
If you’ve ever wondered about the Metaverse, you’ve come to the right place. The Metaverse is an immersive 3D virtual/digital world where humans, who are represented by avatars, can interact with each other via wearable virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) devices and other computing devices.
The term is a combination of the words ‘meta’ and verse, which essentially means ‘beyond the universe.’ Still confused? Don’t be. Let’s dive straight in for a better explanation and take a look at three important things you need to understand about the Metaverse.
Three things you need to understand about the Metaverse
The Metaverse is a simulated virtual environment that can be accessed online from almost any modern computing device with internet/wi-Fi connectivity. However, VR and AR headsets are recommended to fully immerse yourself in the Metaverse.
You take the form of a 3D virtual character known as an avatar, and you can walk around the Metaverse and do various activities alone or with anyone else who is also currently in the Metaverse you have entered. Here are three things you need to understand about the Metaverse:
- There’s more than one Metaverse
- There are lots of things to do in the Metaverse
- You can buy and sell items in the Metaverse using blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies
Here’s a closer look at what some of these mean.
There’s more than just one Metaverse. The main Metaverses are the Upland Metaverse (this is regarded as the best for investing in virtual property) and the Sandbox Metaverse (the best virtual world for creating and sharing unique content).
There’s also the Serenity Island Metaverse (great for playing casual games, social games, mini-games, and even online casino games, and interacting socially with others), and the Decentraland Metaverse (another great metaverse for virtual real estate).
Others include Meta Horizon Worlds and Horizon Workrooms, the Nike Metaverse, Illuvium, the Adidas Metaverse, and the Somnium Space Metaverse. There’s also Nvidia Omniverse, Gather, Second Life, Metahero, and Altspace VR, to name a few.
Some of these are classed as traditional centralised metaverses, and others as decentralised blockchain metaverses.
What other things can I do in the Metaverse?
It depends on which Metaverse you visit. However, in each Metaverse, you can do more than just aimlessly wander around. For example, you can build on existing worlds by creating your own buildings, houses, and other structures.
In some metaverses, you can just chill out in the living rooms you have created with friends and family members, and some allow you to have virtual cookouts.
You can even attend music concerts to watch some of the world’s biggest stars. It’s also possible to watch certain sporting events in the Metaverse, watch television shows and movies on major streaming platforms (e.g., Disney+, Prime, and Netflix), shop for clothes, and even trek through stunning 3D landscapes.
Some metaverse platforms have guided meditation virtual experiences; others allow you to attend virtual art galleries and exhibitions. There’s so much to do. There really is something for everyone.
You can even now visit places like the Great Wall of China or the Pyramids of Egypt without ever having to leave your home, using only a bog-standard VR headset.
What are the best VR and AR headsets that enable me to visit today’s most immersive and advanced metaverses?
If you would like to see what all the fuss is about and invest in a reliable VR or AR headset to explore one or more of the metaverses mentioned above, some of the world’s best wearable VR/AR headsets are the HP Reverb G2, Oculus Quest 2, Sony PlayStation VR, Lenovo Think Reality A3, HoloLens 2, Valve Index, Magic Leap 1, and Samsung Gear VR.
Others include the Samsung HMD Odyssey Headset, Oculus Rift S, Oculus GO, and MERGE VR Goggles.
