A metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connections. In futurism and science fiction, the term is often described as a fictional iteration of the Internet as a single, universal virtual world facilitated by virtual and augmented reality headsets.
The term "metaverse" has its origins in the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash as a portmanteau of "meta" and "universe". Various metaverses have been developed for popular use on virtual world platforms such as Second Life. Some metaverse iterations include integration between virtual and physical spaces and virtual economies, often involving significant interest in advancing virtual reality technology.
The term has seen considerable use for public relations purposes to exaggerate the progress of development for various related technologies and projects. Information privacy and user addiction are concerns within the metaverse, arising from the challenges facing the social media and video game industries as a whole.
Implementations
Video game
Many components of Metaverse technologies have already been developed within modern Internet-enabled video games. The 2003 virtual world platform Second Life is often described as the first metaverse, as it incorporates many aspects of social media into a continuous three-dimensional world, in which the user is represented as an avatar. Social functions are often an integral feature in many massively multiplayer online games. Technology journalist Clive Thompson has argued that Minecraft's evolving, social-based gameplay represents an advanced analog of the metaverse. Similar statements were made for the game Roblox, which has since made significant use of the term in marketing. Other claims to develop the Metaverse include the games Active World, The Palace, and Fortnite.
Virtual Reality
In 2019, social network company Facebook launched a social VR world called Facebook Horizon. In 2021, Facebook was renamed "Meta Platforms" and its president, Mark Zuckerberg, announced a company committed to developing the Metaverse. Many of the virtual reality technologies advertised by the Meta Platform are yet to be developed. Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen criticized the move, saying meta platforms' continued focus on development-oriented projects is largely done to ensure security on their platform.
Microsoft acquired VR company AltspaceVR in 2017 and has since implemented Metaverse features such as virtual avatars and meetings held in virtual reality in Microsoft Teams.
Proposed applications for Metaverse technology include improving work productivity, interactive learning environments, e-commerce, real estate, and fashion.
Technology
Hardware
Access points for the Metaverse include augmented reality (AR), mixed reality, virtual reality (VR), and virtual world technologies in addition to general-purpose computers and smartphones.
Reliance on VR technology has limited Metaverse development and widespread adoption. The limitations of portable hardware and the need to balance cost and design have resulted in a lack of high-quality graphics and mobility. Lightweight wireless headsets struggle to achieve the Retina Display pixel density needed for visual immersion, while higher-performance models are wired and often bulky. Another issue for wide-scale adoption of the technology is cost, with the price of consumer VR headsets set to range from $300 to $1,100 by 2021.
Current hardware development is focused on VR headsets, overcoming sensor limitations, and increasing immersion with haptic technology.
Software
A standardized technical specification for metaverse implementation has not been widely adopted, and current implementations rely mainly on proprietary technology. Interoperability is a major concern in Metaverse development, stemming from concerns about transparency and privacy. There are many virtual environment standardization projects.
In a January 2022 interview with Wired, Second Life creator Philip Rosedale described the Metaverse as a three-dimensional Internet that is populated with living people.
Universal Scene Description is a specification for 3D Computer Graphics Interchange created by Pixar and supported by Blender, Apple's SceneKit, and Autodesk 3ds Max. Technology company NVIDIA announced in 2021 that they would be adopting USD for their Metaverse development tools.
OpenEXR is an open standard for access to virtual and augmented reality devices and experiences. It has been adopted by Microsoft for HoloLens 2, the meta platform for Oculus Quest, and Valve for SteamVR.
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