The Metaverse: What You Need to Know About the Future of Virtual Reality

Metaverse or Meta is the latest and trending tech buzzword that has exceeded everyone’s imagination of digitalization and virtual reality. The hype about Meta gained ultimate recognition after the largest social media platform in the world, Facebook, embraced the idea of Meta. 

The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, adopted the metaverse concept to its social media platform and changed the brand name to Meta Platforms Inc., better known as meta. That’s how we all learned about the meta in social media. 

At the Meta announcement last year, it was stated that Meta would be focusing on bringing Metaverse to people’s lives and communities and also helping businesses grow. But, what does it precisely denote? What does meta hold for social media platforms? How can ordinary individuals access Metaverse or use them? 

To the world, the Meta concept is still new. So, it is hard to understand how it will benefit different aspects of life. It isn’t easy to pinpoint what the future has in store for Meta. Nonetheless, even the experts are still unable to study and discover the full potential of meta. 

However, with such immense developments and technological digitalization, we all can have a taste of what meta can be like. How? Since the meta concept came to light, many businesses from different sectors have shown high interest. They are creating their definition of meta space. As a result, meta now revolves around cryptocurrency, blockchain, and global communities. 

What is Meta?

Meta is a Greek word that means after, across, or beyond. It is a concept that technically revolves around the virtual world. People can get access to this virtual world and interact with others. They can even collaborate, work, and play games in the virtual space together even if the natural person is out of reach. 

Let’s take the example of video calling. Suppose you are having dinner somewhere far away from your family. With Meta, you can enjoy having dinner together around the same setting. The format is similar to video calls on Google Meet or Zoom. As a 3D space, you can see your family across or near you instead of seeing them on your device’s screen. So, isn’t it far better and more exciting!

That is the current potential of meta in our life. Virtual reality (VR) has come to another level. With further advancement, you may even be able to take a test drive of a new car simply by sitting in the comfort of your home. 

Meta is a massive game-changer for our work life as well. A virtual office can be generated in the 3D world. Employees can enter this space and interact like in the real world instead of communicating via video calls and conferences. 

So, that is how meta affects an individual’s life. But what about its effect on social media platforms? Let’s see below. 

What is Meta in social media?

What is meta in social media, or instead of Facebook? That is the one question that everyone must have since Facebook was rebranded. Rather than making significant changes to its platform, Facebook is now focusing on introducing intelligent glasses, VR headsets, and 3D video calling facilities. 

In its definition, meta is already many steps beyond the 2D world or social media. Meta will bring a more interactive environment for users. It will open new doors and opportunities for social media and gaming. Simply put, users can communicate and share experiences in real-time simulated settings. 

Social media will become more immersive with meta in force. Users can easily interact, share interests, and even transact with others, family, and friends in the 3D virtual space. Any geographical barrier will be eliminated. Online forums, blogging, video calls & sharings, messaging, etc., will have no specified hurdle or boundaries. 

The ecosystem of social media is already extensive enough. The core operations and everything follows because of different products and services. Consumers will gain new experiences with comprehensive meta-immersion into the workings of social media. Thanks to the Metaverse, social media will get better functionalities in different aspects of e-commerce, live events, collaborations, virtual reality, and augmented reality. 

However, meta is still in its conceptual phase. Getting this concept into reality will need technology and time. 

How do you use meta?

We can already see some snippets of people using Metaverse. You can learn more about various virtual worlds or Metaverse through different sources. Common and popular meta-virtual worlds include:

• Decentraland
• Second Life
• Sandbox
• Roblox
• Horizon Worlds
• Star Atlas
• VRChat
• Rec Room
• Avakin Official
• Microsoft Mesh for Teams

You can do so via these virtual platforms if you want access to the Metaverse and use its functions. Therefore, we will discuss how you can use meta on Decentraland. 

Decentraland is one popular 3D meta environment. Users can buy, build, and sell digital assets, artwork, and NFTs. While trading, users can also interact with global communities. 

Decentraland, as a virtual platform, runs on Ethereum Blockchain and is community-owned. You can enjoy Decentraland even on your web browser if you are an unregistered user. You simply have to create an avatar for yourself, verify your age, and abide by the terms & conditions of the platform before starting. 

Decentraland has two main elements – MANA and LAND. If you want your virtual landscape to store content and build structures, you can buy a small amount of land to which you will give specific access. But, after purchasing the LAND, you need MANA to access them. For that, you will need cryptocurrencies or your traditional currencies. 

Decentraland also has a gaming world where users can enjoy play-to-earn games and earn MANA.   

You need to use the Oculus Quest VR headset to get the whole enjoyable and new experience on Metaverse. As soon as you put on the VR headset, you will be hit with your 3D virtual environment in a monochromatic setting. The external tracking cameras of the headset prevent any accidents. Users can easily walk around their new virtual environment. 

You can also use headphones to get an intensely immersive experience of your 3D world. The headphones will eliminate any background noises. 

Nonetheless, every meta platform does not require the users to use a VR headset in this current scenario. But, whichever meta forum you access, you must have a crypto wallet and a laptop or computer.