metaverse

metaverse, proposed network of immersive online worlds experienced typically through virtual reality or augmented reality in which users would interact with each other and purchase goods and services, some of which would exist only in the online world. Builders of metaverse technology consider it to be the next step in the evolution of the Internet after early 21st-century developments such as smartphone applications and social media.

Science-fiction author Neal Stephenson coined the term metaverse in his novel Snow Crash (1992), in which characters enjoy themselves as digital avatars in the “Metaverse” as an escape from the grim reality of the 21st century. The concept of an immersive digital world became popular in late 20th- and early 21st-century science fiction, such as Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s film The Matrix (1999) and its sequels and Ernest Cline’s novel Ready Player One (2011; film 2018).

Applications that have emerged with metaverse-like features include Second Life, in which users create and manage the lives of avatars in an advanced social setting with other online “residents.” In platforms such as Roblox and Epic Games’ Fortnite, users typically play games but can also attend concerts and socialize through their avatars.

The social network company Facebook is particularly active in building metaverse technology. The company acquired the virtual reality company Oculus in 2014, and in 2021 the company changed its name to Meta Platforms. That same year it released its metaverse application Meta Horizon Worlds, in which users can use Oculus headsets to play games created by other users. The application included a business platform, Meta Horizon Workrooms, in which users who work at locations remote from each other can interact as in a real office.

Although applications such as Meta Horizon Worlds and Roblox provide metaverse experiences, several advances are required for the technology to achieve its full potential. Interoperability is one such advance: even though the metaverse is being built by different companies and organizations, the experience for a user should be seamless and not depend on the conditions of any one platform. A user should also have a consistent virtual identity across metaverse worlds. Finally, property rights within the metaverse should be ensured. (Non-fungible tokens [NFTs] have been suggested as a means of designating ownership of items and places within virtual worlds.)