What is metaverse?

To begin to understand what it is metaverse, it is necessary to go back a little in time, more precisely in the 80's, when specialists and enthusiasts started an almost utopian movement of what could be the Internet. Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement of his intention to unify communities, creators and online stores through virtual reality has rekindled what for many was just a dream. According to the owner of Facebook, that would be the next generation of the Internet.

So what is the metaverse? A new world?

The concept of what is metaverse It's still confusing for many. It might be easier to say first what it's not: it's not a game, it's not a single product, and it's not owned by a single company. It is correct to say that it is a kind of new world, where real and fictional activities can take place, and we are already in it – at least some of them!

“The metaverse is just a digital layer of our lives. It will exist once everything we do digitally is completely connected, interconnected. So if I buy a yellow shirt at Fortnite, I can wear it at Instagram, on Facebook, as an Augmented Reality experience, all interconnected. The metaverse is an extension of our physical lives into the digital realm.”

Kerry Murphy, CEO of The Fabrication, on the metaverse concept

the junction of Artificial Intelligence, Virtual reality increased and Blockchain provides the creation of a multifunctional virtual environment, where we can play, buy, sell and many other things at the same time.

In recent years, several digital platforms have emerged that have shown us the tip of the iceberg of what it is like to live in the metaverse, but there is still a long way to go to achieve what the dreamers of the 80s had in mind. That's why we separate the development of the metaverse into past, present and future to show where we are and where we want to go.

What is the metaverse and how did it come about?

Let's start with the past. The construction of what is metaverse in theory begins with Neal stephenson in 1982 in the book “Snow crash”, part of Cyberpunk literature. The author uses the concept as a parallel reality, not necessarily fictional. It is not real, but it conveys the sensation of reality through equipment.

It was from there that specialists, researchers and entrepreneurs named immersive life in cyberspace. The term is born from the junction of “meta”, prefix used to indicate something later, with what we know as all the space explored by the human being, the universe. Basically, it's the convergence between physical reality, virtual reality and augmented reality, all with a touch of artificial intelligence.

Over the years, the evolution of technology provides its realization, but requires standardization and cooperation between the major players in the market to define what is metaverse in this new era.

How does the metaverse work?

We understand what the metaverse is in the past, now it's time to see how it came to be a part of our lives. Virtual reality takes place in parallel, that is, the user is not necessarily the personification of their own image. Of course, each niche and company that invests in this new world has different goals and audiences.

For example, the Facebook wants to provide a virtual space that facilitates the life of a worker with current urgencies and pain. And what is part of that person's day? Online meetings, remote conversations and other activities involving technology. The gateway and first product to the metaverse is the HorizonWorkrooms.

Already Riot Games created the K / DA, a band that has a new character created to integrate both the musical attraction and the game League of Legends. The case is also an example of the expansion of the metaverse as it mixes the real world with the digital in an inseparable way. In other words, it is the fulfillment of the desire to fully interact online.

Through social networks, augmented reality, virtual stores, video games and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), companies are building their own metaverses, where our physical and virtual lives converge. 

It is worth noting that we may be facing a great revolution or a spectacular failure. In 2003, the launch of the Second Life, in order to offer a parallel reality where users performed day-to-day activities, with the advantage of meeting and interacting with people who were not physically in the same space. As with any new development, there was great interest and press coverage, but the enthusiasm ended. Would the concept of the metaverse be another such case?

Metaverse in pop culture

As stated above, it all started in Snow crash, in which a pizza delivery boy transforms into a samurai prince by entering a universe of algorithms. Another work that approaches the theme and gives a sample of what the metaverse looks like is the film Matrix. What do they all have in common? Anything we can imagine can exist within them.

But it is only in 2011 that science fiction comes close to what we can experience in the coming years. The book "Ready Player One", by Ernest Cline, tells the story of a virtual universe called “OASIS”, in which users live adventures and consume without limits through avatars. What is metaverse, in theory, is practiced there.

Who is investing in the metaverse?

It's time to talk about the future and why it looks promising for what the metaverse wants to be. The biggest players in the metaverse today are game companies. games like Roblox e Fortnite guarantee a differentiated experience through the interaction of customizable avatars. A great practical example is the rapper's show Travis Scott on the Fortnite platform, using his own avatar and almost identical to the singer.

sure, or Facebook e Microsoft don't fall behind with metaverse applications and products already in development. The focus of the solutions that these companies want to provide in the virtual environment is the post-pandemic corporate world. Facebook brings together Horizon Workrooms and Oculus Quest 2 to make a remote virtual office meeting more realistic and with a sense of closeness.

We can also see the metaverse growing in Brazil. O Apothecary, for example, created a virtual concept store in the game Avakin life. When exchanging points for “BotCoins”, users received in-game rewards. THE Havaianas shows interest in the metaverse by auctioning a collection in NFT, developed in partnership with designer and artist Adhemas Batista.

New generation of consumers

The establishment of the metaverse as a definitive way of interaction on the internet has a great chance of success because of the generations that are being born in an already digitized world. At the moment, we pay our bills online, we do the fair of the week in virtual stores, but this extension of our lives can go well beyond that.

The person will be able to participate in virtual meetings with a 3D avatar in the Microsoft Teams or Horizon Workrooms, and then enjoy a music show with friends and their avatars. All this in a matter of seconds, without leaving home. The song ends and the band says “don’t forget to buy a t-shirt!”, they go to a virtual booth, pay for the t-shirt with cryptocurrency and show up at the meeting the next day with a new look.

Hype or Revolution

Some attempts at virtual reality to take care of human routine have already appeared and, as they were used, disappeared due to people's fatigue, such as Second Life. For 20 years, they were already selling and buying items there and virtual concerts by famous singers were promoted. So what is different now?

One of the reasons for the expectation of success is the evolution of graphics and connectivity. The popularity of shared universes was also encouraged by the Marvel e DC, which have been one of the main producers of media content for over 10 years.

In addition, the accounting and consulting giant PwC predicts that VR and AR technologies will provide an increase in $1,5 trillion to the global economy by 2030. In other words, the market is looking forward to this new world.

We cannot forget the pandemic that kept billions of people away from human contact and normal life for more than a year. This may have impacted social experiences to the point of increasing presence in virtual spaces for personal representation and engagement for years.

How to enter the Metaverse?

To access these virtual worlds, you need a virtual reality (VR) glasses for an immersive experience because they are attached to the head and offer a 360º type of image. The composition of most models is the same: a screen, two lenses, audio output and an accessory that helps to fit the device on the head. We separate the best VR glasses for you to start your journey in the metaverse!

O Oculus Quest 2 It has a smaller and lighter design than the first generation. Weighing just 503 grams, the product has a Snapdragon XR2 processor, made especially for virtual reality. Inside, the device also has 6 GB of RAM and options for 128GB and 256GB storage. O Oculus Quest 2 works with two motion controls that come in the device's box, but it also has apps that work directly with hand mapping. Already the two screens have 1832×1920 resolution in each eye and also bring 90Hz refresh rate.

The Oculus Quest 2 is one of Meta's bets for its metaverse. O headset can be found at the store Amazon, costing R$ 2.657,68 a 128 GB version. The model of 256 GB be bought by R$ 3.281,03.

Another company that has also been working on its own metaverse is Microsoft. Starting this year, users will be able to participate in virtual meetings through the teams using 3D avatars, creating a universe of digital dolls that can interact with each other. christened of microsoft mesh, the feature can be accessed through a smartphone, third-party Virtual Reality glasses, or with the HoloLens 2, the mixed reality smart glasses from Microsoft.

O HoloLens 2, in fact, was born with a focus on corporate use. The model comes with Snapdragon 850, 4 GB of RAM e 64GB internal storage. He still has a pair of speakers and a 8 megapixel front camera for video conferencing, capable of up to 6 degrees of tracking.

The device can be found at Microsoft Store, costing from U.S. $ one thousand 3.5, which, converted, gives something around R $ 20 thousand.

In May of last year, the HTC announced, during the Vivecon 2021,  Long live Pro 2, headset that offers 5K resolution, display with 120º of FoV (Field of View) and 120Hz refresh rate. O Long live Pro 2 is designed to be connected to the PC. Therefore, to use the 4096 x 2448 display with 120Hz you will need a powerful computer that can keep up with the VR headset.

Despite having been developed with a focus on professional use for companies, the new Long live Pro 2 brings very interesting settings for gamers. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures good viewing of images and comfort when using VR. In addition, the   uses RGB sub-pixels with dual lenses, for each eye, superimposed to improve the field of view, ensuring that the edges are not blurred.

O HTC Live Pro 2 can be found by R$ 9.349 No. Cold spot.

The main worlds of the Metaverse

Os biggest technology players are investing in the metaverse, as well as consumer profiles are adapting. Check out some of the main worlds that already operate and others that are still in development, but promise to deliver functionality and entertainment to users!

A Microsoft will allow virtual meetings through Teams to take place using 3D avatars, creating a universe of digital dolls that can interact with each other. christened of microsoft mesh, the feature will allow the use of animated characters during video conferences when they don't want to turn on the camera.

Also according to Microsoft, companies will be able to use this function to create their own Metaverse, where their employees can interact in a virtual universe. The Internet user will be able to access the Mesh using a smartphone, third-party VR glasses, or HoloLens (Microsoft's mixed reality smart glasses).

If the person does not have a device that supports the display of 3D images, they can participate in the interaction with 2D avatars without any problems. The avatar will be animated using the user's voice, thanks to the AI ​​(Artificial Intelligence) that Microsoft is using. During meetings, characters will also be able to raise their hands when the option is triggered or animate an emoji around the avatar.

"Whatever the device, mixed reality technology will give each user an avatar that provides a sense of presence, that allows them to be their expressive self when they don't want to appear on camera," revealed Microsoft, which has scheduled a new event. preview date for April 5th.

The event page doesn't reveal much about what will be discussed, but there are clues about the kind of hybrid work solutions and security tools Microsoft is working on for companies where the "office" is more of an idea than a location. This includes Windows 365 subscriptions for cloud PCs that you access via a web browser and a detailed look at the future of Microsoft Teams meetings.

A NVIDIA, another technology giant, well known for its graphics cards, will also have its virtual simulation and collaboration platform online. Call of NVIDIA OMNIVERSE, the platform enables designers, artists and reviewers to work together in real-time on software applications, in a shared virtual world from anywhere.

The company's goal is to become the foundation of the metaverse, and to that end, it recently revealed new integrations with the software. Blender and applications from Adobe. With this, the open source 3D animation tool will now support Universal Scene Description (USD), allowing professionals to access the pipelines of Omniverse production.

Currently, the platform is already being used by professionals from companies like ShoP Architects, South Park and Lockheed Martin. In case of South Park, the animated television series, the tool is being explored to allow several of its artists to collaborate on scenes and optimize its insanely limited production time.

O NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise, which is currently still being evaluated by more than 500 companies, is in early access. The platform will be available later this year by subscription of the partner network of NVIDIA, including ASUS, BOXX Technologies, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo, PNY and Ssupermicro. Pricing information for Omniverse Enterprise can be found at official service website.

O Horizon Workrooms, one of the products announced by Meta, already allows people to get together to work in the same virtual room, regardless of where they are. It works in both virtual reality and the web and is designed to enhance the ability of teams to collaborate, communicate and connect remotely through the power of VR.

With Oculus Quest 2, newcomers can imitate socialization by creating avatars, which represent their figure at the meeting, for example. Zuckerberg's idea is to bring proximity and more realistic 'contact' to the corporate world as well. “Working without colleagues around you can be isolating at times, and brainstorming with others just isn’t the same if you’re not in the same room.” Facebook.

Thus, it is possible to gather teams for a brainstorming session, write some ideas on a whiteboard, work on a document, socialize and socialize or simply have better conversations that flow more naturally.

For a more familiar environment, there will still be the HorizonHome, a space dedicated to more casual activities with friends and relatives. Among the possibilities, there is the organization of parties with the presence of friends. The novelty will work as follows: when joining an Oculus Party, with the Oculus Quest 2, users will be able to invite people to the meeting in the virtual environment. The party will use users' avatars and inside the space it will be possible to chat, watch videos together, play games and use applications.

O Decentraland, also available to users, is a decentralized virtual reality platform built on the Ethereum blockchain that allows you to create, experience and monetize your content and applications. It is currently managed by an autonomous decentralized organization. The platform allows exploration and development, in the same way that happens in Minecraft, and socialization, as we see in Second Life, for example.

Decentraland is divided into 90 LAND units in non-fungible token (NFT) form. In the game, you can buy items using MANA, the cryptocurrency present in this universe. In this 3D world it is still possible to buy and sell land in NFT format (non-fungible tokens), make payments and have an online life in a metaverse that closely mimics reality.

At the end of March 2022, the platform hosted the Metaverse Fashion Week, the Metaverse Fashion Week, fashion event that addressed the main releases of the fashion world, mixing reality with the virtual. At the event, renowned brands such as Dolce & Gabanna, Forever 21 e Hugo Boss were present. The purpose of accomplishments like this is to popularize events in virtual universes.

See also:

Also access other related news on Showmetech. understand how the HorizonWorkrooms starts the metaverse in Facebook.

Horizon Workrooms is the first step in the Facebook metaverse

Sources: The Verge, with the BBC e Glamurama.