Explained: What is Metaverse? Here's all you need to know

Metaverse explained: Recently, we all are seeing and reading this term - Metaverse, everywhere. This term has gained attention globally. Everyone now wants to know what is it and how it works? If you are one of those looking for answers on metaverse, this article might help you. 

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What is metaverse? 

A metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection and it can be defined as a simulated digital environment that uses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and blockchain, along with concepts from social media, to create spaces for rich user interaction mimicking the real world. 

It covers nearly everything, such as games, meetings, and shopping. 

To access Metaverse, you must first put on a headset, after which you can connect to the virtual reality interface.

History

The term Metaverse was coined by Neal Stephenson in a science fiction novel - Snow Crash -- almost 30 years ago, in which he envisioned lifelike avatars who met in realistic 3D buildings and other virtual reality environments

In recent years, Metaverse has come to represent a utopian convergence of digital experiences fuelled by Moore's Law - an aspiration to enable rich, real-time, globally-interconnected virtual- and augmented-reality environments that will enable billions of people to work, play, collaborate and socialise in entirely new ways, IANS said.

The rise of Metaverse

In fact, Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Meta (formerly known as Facebook) estimates it could take five to 10 years before the key features of the metaverse become mainstream. But the metaverse is growing aggressively. 

You can see 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.

Negatives of Metaverse

According to IANS report, Meta (formerly Facebook) is aware that virtual reality can be a "toxic environment" especially for women and minorities, and Metaverse would be an "existential threat" to Facebook if it turned off "mainstream customers from the medium entirely".

"Harassment in digital spaces is nothing new, and it's something we and others in the industry have been working to address for years. That work is ongoing and will likely never be finished. It's continually evolving, though its importance remains constant. It's an incredibly daunting task," Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth was quoted as saying by IANS.

India's role in building Metaverse

The IANS report also revealed that Mark Zuckerberg said that as the social network begins initial steps to create augmented reality (AR)- driven Metaverse experiences for billions, India and its vast pool of talent is going to be a huge part of that journey.

Speaking at the company's 'Fuel for India' event, Zuckerberg said that he is really excited about the role that India will play in building the future of Metaverse, which is going to be the successor to the mobile internet.

"That is because India's talent pool -- the engineers, developers and creators and the whole vibrant startup ecosystem -- is playing a huge role in shaping the future. India is on track to have the largest app developer base in the world by 2024. It already has one of the largest 'Spark AR' developer communities," Zuckerberg told Vishal Shah, VP, Metaverse during a conversation.

Future 

Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta also announced new tools to help people build for the Metaverse, including Presence Platform, which will enable new mixed reality experiences on Quest 2, and a $150-million investment in immersive learning to train the next generation of creators.