Here’s a fact: meta/metaverse isn’t just Facebook’s new name, it’s been a thing for a while. Think about online art such as nfts, to online virtual reality games like rec room and VR chat. The metaverse is a widespread world similar to our physical world, Just… electronically. 

What Is a Metaverse?

The idea of the metaverse isn’t new, Neal Stephenson first brought it up in his fiction novel Snow Crash, published in 1992.  “A metaverse is a mixed reality space that can offer an alternate or virtual world experience for humans,” says Mr. Gust, the social media teacher at SPASH. The metaverse isn’t just one whole. Gust says “a metaverse” not “the metaverse”, meaning there are many different metaverses that someone can access.

Experience

One way to access a metaverse yourself is to get a VR headset, specifically the Oculus Quest 2. Once on the quest, you can access a certain game called Rec Room, the game I decided to choose to dive into this crazy world. This game is a world where you can play many different kinds of games, like paintba

ll, bowling, and capturing the flag. You also decorate your own room, just like you would in real life. This is what attracts people so much to the metaverse, that you can live an interactive experience online

What does the future hold for Metaverses?

Metaverses are already popular, video games like Roblox and Fortnite are very good examples, and investing in these companies seems like the way many investors should be going. According to an article by Nasdaq, the worldwide market of the metaverse is estimated to reach around $800 billion at the end of 2024. The metaverse is quickly growing from what already is a huge platform, and these numbers attest to that. Gust believes that “realism will be the key to any successful mixed reality world.” The “key” Gust is talking about to create a successful metaverse that people can engage with is by starting with realism, like in the book and movie, Ready Player One. 

Conclusion

The metaverse is an ever-growing platform and there are many more things to come, but learning more about the metaverse can help the growth and expansion of who uses the metaverse and how we use it in the future.