Metavers in seven points

1.What is the metaverse?

We started talking more about the metaverse since Facebook went meta. The word metaverse is made up of “meta” which means transcendent and of “verse” which comes from the word universe. Metavers, which will be an ecosystem designed from several technologies, will allow users to lead a virtual life in parallel to the real one via an avatar, which means a digital self. In the metaverse world we will have our avatar, which will be interpreted as a virtual character that we choose to represent us in this virtual place. The metaverse is summarized as the fact that we will no longer be content with looking at our computer screen as we are now, but we will be immersed in the internet via headsets.

2-What can be done in the metaverse?

We can develop distance training in conditions close to those of the real life. We could also buy or sell in the metaverse. In 2026, it is estimated that 25% of the world’s internet users will spend at least one hour a day in the metaverse for work, business, training or for various entertainment. Among the activities that will be most solicited are: tourism (18%), museums (15%), concerts (14%) and fashion (12%). The metaverse promises to revolutionize the field of advertising as well.

3.What equipment do we need to join the metaverse?

To access the metaverse you must have:
– a computer
– A good internet connection
– A virtual reality headset and controllers.
The relevant industry is working to make virtual reality closer to reality. For example, the first helmet that Facebook has just announced is called “Butterscotch”. It aims to drastically increase the number of pixels compared to the helmet currently on sale.
The second prototype, Half Dome, will solve the problem of depth of field. This one is fixed in the helmets currently available on the market.
A third model, Starburst, wants to offer brightness and contrasts as good as natural light. But in the long term, above all, all these solutions will have to be integrated into a single device. Meta has modeled this future helmet, called “Mirror Lake”.

4.Can we already access the metaverse?

Several metavers already exist. This is the case, for example, of Horizon Worlds and Fortnite, in which it is already possible to interact virtually with other participants. However, what is missing is interoperability, which means the interaction between all the universes of metavers.

5.Will the metaverse have its own economy?

In the Metaverse there are virtual reality platforms based on the blockchain which allows users to buy or sell, play games, organize events and interact with each other in multiple ways. For these actions of purchasing and selling, cryptocurrencies will be used. The blockchain is an open and unalterable online register capable of tracking various transactions and cryptocurrencies.

6.What innovations can be expected from the metaverse?

One of the first expected innovations is to create virtual coworking spaces for meetings and to promote remote work. In addition, the metaverse also promises innovations in terms of social relations and immersive experience. Chatting and playing online with people around the world is already a commonplace in the gaming world. The US retail giant Walmart has just entered the Roblox platform of the metaverse.

7.What are the risks and threats associated with metaverses?

The metaverse will be a natural extension for the current social networks. Several experts claim that in the absence of good regulation, the invasion of privacy will be more pronounced on the metaverse than with the existed social networks. The metaverse will, allow for example data to be authenticated and traced. Regulating metaverse is necessary because without it we will find ourselves in an artificial world that seems natural, while between the lines, large digital players will certainly manipulate us for commercial use in particular. Another risk is wanting to be more present in the virtual world than in the real one. Several studies already mentioned the possibility of users becoming irrationally attached to their avatar. A journalist from the British Times who spent several hours on metaverse says that this virtual world seems to encourage anti-social behavior rather than human interactions.

By René Serres