What is Metaverse? Ultimate Guide 2021-2022

The word metaverse has been here for a long time. Still, a lot of people have not heard this term. In Oct 2021, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta. What is metaverse? I myself am guilty of not having heard the term metaverse before. So don’t worry because in this article we are going to remove any of your doubts. By the end of this article, you will be fully versed in the term metaverse. Wink wink!

According to a recent survey, many people don’t know what metaverse is. Some know about it but they have the wrong information. Also, a lot of people connect it with the Facebook Meta. 

Table of Content

• Meaning of metaverse?
• The basic definition of metaverse?
• What is metaverse all about?
• How will the metaverse work?
• What is metaverse Facebook?
• Future of Metaverse
• Conclusion

Meaning of metaverse?

Metaverse is the combination of two words. Meta comes from a Greek word that means “beyond”. The second verse is taken from the universe. So the basic meaning of meta “beyond” verse “universe” means beyond this universe or earth. Well that is quite interesting, isn’t it?

This term was coined by legendary novelist Neal Stephenson in his visionary novel “Snow Crash”. The next iteration of metaverse comes from a 2003 game “Second Life” that was based on the novel.

Both of these, the novel and the game presented a virtual world that is away and beyond this life, hence the term metaverse.

The basic definition of metaverse?

The basic definition of the metaverse is literally very simple: “It is the internet in 3D”. However, when we elaborate on the term there are a lot of factors that come into play while defining it.

What is metaverse all about?

Okay so really what is metaverse and what it is all about. Basically, the metaverse will be a virtual world. This world is made from virtual reality and augmented reality. When these two technologies are connected a metaverse is created. But this doesn’t stop there. A plethora of technologies like Blockchain, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies are and will be a part of the metaverse.

Metaverse and all these technologies are going to be the future version of the internet. Read our article on 10 Web 3.0 Examples: The Ultimate Future of Internet?

How will the metaverse work?

Metaverse will basically be a digital imprint of the real world. That means that you will have an avatar that will live, breathe, eat and perform other activities in this virtual world. You can interact with other people like they are with you even though they are miles apart. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will make this possible. 

In the metaverse, you can purchase land, plot houses, and other forms of art i.e NFT too. The currency to carry on transactions and to purchase something will be cryptocurrency.

To tap into the metaverse you will require a VR headset. However, reports are saying that after some advancements in technology people can tap into the metaverse without the need of a VR set.

Real-life metaverse examples

Let’s take a look at some real-life examples that have a metaverse in them. Once you understand these examples you will easily understand what the metaverse is and how it works.

SIMS

Sims is a popular simulation game. It is a simulation of real life. It is like a digital life in the game where you can perform all daily life activities. Sims is a very popular franchise with various games and tie-ins over the years. The first sim was playable in 2000.

Second Life

The next game to represent the metaverse is “second life”. In Fact, the majority of people dub second life the metaverse. As the name suggests, a second life offers you a second life. This life is away from real life. In this virtual life, you can buy lands, and properties, marry and even raise kids. And all the other people in the game are real-life people that are experiencing these things.

It was more than a game. Second life is so popular that even today millions of users regularly play this game.

Fortnite

Let’s jump to a little modern-day game. Fortnite is a shooter game that was available in 2017. In this game, you have 3 to 4 friends playing together. You can talk with them and interact with them in real time. Your enemies are also real people playing them. Fortnite directors and CEO are saying that the game is metaverse.

Fortnite took it to the next level when rapper Travis Scot and singer Ariana Grande performed a live concert in the game. They were in their digital avatars and all the people listening to them were listening to them live.

Decentraland

Decentraland can be said to be the latest game about the metaverse. To play this 3d virtual game you will need a VR headset. Once you are in the game you can buy lands, plots, farms, and much more. You can freely interact with other people that are in the game in the same way that you are in the game. All these people are from different parts of the world. You can interact and maintain relationships with these people. The cryptocurrency in Decentraland is the Mana.

What is metaverse Facebook?

Now we know that metaverse is an online virtual space where our avatars will live like real people. Let’s understand what metaverse Facebook is. As many people confuse metaverse with Facebook meta.

Although Facebook has branded itself as Meta (a clever move) Facebook or Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t own the metaverse. In Fact, they want to build their social media on the working principles of the metaverse. Many tech giants are working on building their metaverses and Facebook is one of them.

A Facebook metaverse is a unique concept. as it will allow the users to experience all the Facebook features in a 3d virtual space.

Metaverse Facebook Examples

1. Facebook already has started a metaverse. On Facebook, you can create your digital avatars. With these avatars, you can interact with other people. But it is in 2d space. After the metaverse, this will happen in live 3d space.
2. The second and most important example is the Facebook online virtual game “Horizon Worlds”. Facebook jumped on the metaverse bandwagon with its own 3d virtual game. The game works in the same way as the decentral and works. However, the graphics are not quite good at the moment. With the passage of time graphics and the work will get better too.

Future of Metaverse

The future of the metaverse is not clearly defined yet. The answers can go in many different ways to the question “what is metaverse?” Remember back in the day there was a lot of speculation regarding web 1.0 before its release. What people were predicting turned out quite different. So it is not sure what all the possibilities the will metaverse bring to the table.

The next thing is that tapping into the metaverse requires a heavy VR headset. After wearing it for some time it causes sickness. It can not be used for a long time. Also, not all people will own a Vr headset which will be a major problem.

To tackle this problem work is being done to remove the size and weight of VR headsets so one day they will turn them into simple lightweight glasses or even lenses. But that technology is quite far-fetched at the moment.

What is the metaverse launch date?

There is no definitive answer to this question. However, rumors suggest by the end of this decade metaverse will be available to the masses. The big companies and brands will get and start using the metaverse in the next 3 to 5 years.

Conclusion

As promised, by the end of this article now you fully know what is metaverse. What will it bring and what will be the working? metaverse is a digital world where you will carry on your daily life activities. Metaverse will take some time before launching and reaching mass audiences. There are already many games that are working on the principle of the metaverse. Facebook already has branded itself as Meta to bring the Facebook metaverse as soon as possible. By the end of this decade, we will begin to see the implementations of metaverse more and more.