While being in a virtual simulation does sound like playing a game from The Sims series, accessing metaverse is so much more.
A potential extension of social media and online communication that would revolutionize our social habits, the metaverse has already gathered a following of users across different platforms.
Want onboard? Keep on reading!
When we consider the fact that several major companies such as Epic Games and Microsoft started investing into the development of the metaverse, it can be said with certainty that this project aims high.
Even Facebook changed its name to Meta, which is by no means a mere coincidence.
All in all, the major virtual reality and social media companies put their trust (and their money) into their projects that aim to integrate the metaverse into our daily lives, just as social media did in the past.
Some people call the whole thing a fad, however communities have already formed around the metaverse and large groups have embarked on their virtual life journeys.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First of all, what is this metaverse?
What Is the Metaverse?
The metaverse is many things and it is a bit tricky to define. In broad strokes, though, it can be roughly defined as a virtual simulation of a world.
Just like in the real world, users can work, play, and socialize with others. The potentials are limited by software engineering only.
While the fully-developed metaverse does not exist yet, many “early access” examples are out there that show that building the metaverse most likely can be done.
The concept was first developed in 1992 in a science fiction novel, Snow Crash, written by Neal Stephenson.
In the book, the Metaverse is a 3D-virtual world that is completely immersive and does not require a device, interface, or any type of platform to access it.
Suffice to say, we aren’t anywhere near this type of metaverse, but we are making steps towards the goal.
Today’s metaverses are tied to platforms and rely on VR hardware, video game consoles, and PCs to access and navigate in.
What makes the biggest difference between the metaverse and older virtual simulations is the dawn of web3, a proposed iteration of the World Wide Web that is built upon the decentralized concept of blockchain to fabricate a computer-made reality that can simulate the physics of the world as we know it.
Decentraland, Voxels, and The Sandbox are some examples of web3 metaverses.
They are founded upon the decentralized blockchain technology that enables users to purchase and own in-game items, objects, and other assets such as buildings, plots of land, character skins, and other stuff in the form of NFTs.
In short, unlike the centralized digital worlds governed by devs, engineers, GMs, and other “central authorities”, the metaverse is a shared space shaped by the users and users alone and allows them to socialize, play, and engage in various commercial activities in ways that appear strikingly similar to those that we perform outside the digital space.
How to Access The Metaverse?
As metaverses are whole worlds, there is no single access point. First, you need to decide which metaverse you wish to plunge into and explore.
No fully developed metaverse exists yet, so the evolving prototypes and new access points are constantly popping up.
Web3 offers a couple of popular metaverses to visit, some of which we will talk about in a second.
Before we start, however, bear in mind that for every metaverse you will be required to have a crypto wallet.
Without that, you won’t be able to join the metaverse as cryptocurrency is required for every in-game purchase.
1. Decentraland
This virtual reality platform, as the name suggests, is decentralized and supported by the Ethereum blockchain.
All you need to do to access the metaverse with Decentraland is go to their website via your PC, connect your crypto wallet, and create your Decentraland avatar.
Afterwards you will be redirected to the Decentraland metaverse which you can experience, explore, and purchase real estate in, known in this metaverse as LAND.
In Decentraland, as it is powered by Ethereum blockchain, you will need MANA, Decentraland’s ERC-20 cryptocurrency, to buy LAND.
2. The Sandbox
The Sandbox is another entry point to the metaverse.
It is a decentralized, Ethereum-based reality simulation where users can build, own, and sell estates, as well as monetize their gaming experiences with SAND, the currency of The Sandbox digital environment.
To access The Sandbox metaverse, go to their website and sign in with the button in the top-right corner. Next, link your crypto wallet to the site.
You are then ready to access The Sandbox! Stick around enough and you will witness yourself owning LAND, a digital piece of real estate in this metaverse of your own.
3. Voxels
Previously known as Cryptovoxels, Voxels is a decentralized metaverse platform powered by the Ethereum blockchain and done in a voxel-based environment.
You are probably familiar with the concept of decentralized metaverses by now – you become a member of the community, put your effort into the world and ultimately own virtual land and structures built on top of it.
In order to access Voxels, visit their website, sign in, connect your crypto wallet, build an avatar of yourself and begin the journey into the Voxels metaverse!
What Equipment Do I Need to Access the Metaverse?
Some metaverses out there do not require specialized or sophisticated gear.
For example, Decentraland needs nothing more than a mouse, keyboard, and a computer with any Internet browser.
That said, you can also mount equipment that will get you much more immersed into the whole metaverse experience.
A VR headset is a perfect example as its graphics chip and integrated storage components, hand in hand with six built-in tracking cameras, keep track of the position of your head and hands and replicate the movement in the metaverse.
Combine it with a touch controller and you can easily simulate interaction with the digital objects.
The headset also simulates sound in the virtual space from all directions, aiding in the immersion experience and helping you eliminate the distracting background noise.
Ultimately, you don’t “need” special equipment, but it certainly doesn’t harm your metaverse experience.
What Form Does the Metaverse Come In?
Virtual environment sounds a bit vague, so what does the metaverse really look like?
The metaverse is a virtual place with a digital environment and assets.
The users occupy the place as 3D avatars, while the rest of the world comes as digital assets and objects (like artwork), with various activities including games and commerce, as well as social meeting places where you can interact with the community.
The majority of metaverses take shape as voxel-based environments that people access using a VR headset, a PC, or a mobile device.
Most of this should be very familiar to people who have played video games such as Minecraft, Sims, MMORPGs like World of Warcraft (be sure to use a VPN for WoW) and the likes.
However, the key difference between these and the metaverse is that in the metaverse the main character really is you.
You don’t play for fun (only), as you can purchase, obtain, sell, and own items with real money, as well as partake in commercial activities that can get you actual real-life currency.
Your avatar also represents you, which is the main point giant social media companies put emphasis on, for the purpose of communicating in an environment that is more comprehensive than e.g. FaceTalk.
Without saying, this is all doable right now.
Who knows how many more activities will be doable in the metaverse in years to come, or even months?
What Can I Do In the Metaverse?
Even with just a portion of the potential unlocked at the moment, there’s quite a bunch of things that you can do in the metaverse.
To begin with, there are vast virtual landscapes that you can explore and interact with.
You can connect with a growing number of users in real-time, including friends and family, with many more options for socialization than in conventional modes of communication that we have at our disposal.
Then, you can shop for digital assets, ranging from cars and artwork to real estate and various accessories, besides pretty much anything that you can imagine.
A plethora of metaverse-exclusive events have been held, including economical and business forums.
In the metaverse, you can have fun and earn cash by participating in play-to-earn NFT games.
By spending your time and putting your effort into the various web3 projects that come in the shape of social activity and games, you help the metaverse expand and thus get rewards in the form of real-world currency.
Once again, who knows how much you really will be able to do in the metaverse in a short while?
What Makes The Metaverse Different From Other Virtual Realities?
For the uninitiated, the difference between the metaverse and other virtual reality simulators may appear to be non-existent.
On the other end of this philosophical spectrum are people who believe that with the degree of our lives being enacted on social media, we are already living in the metaverse!
The crucial difference between the metaverse and ordinary virtual realities is in the concept that we have already mentioned, and that is web3, which is a necessity for the metaverse, unlike web2 which is sufficient for “regular” virtual reality simulators.
Web2, the World Wide Web as we know it today, is a version of the web that allows a significant degree of user freedom, user-generated content, interactivity, and compatibility with other sites and software services.
However, the owners of the piece of the World Wide Web (or the simulation) that you find yourself at still have the final say on what happens on their “plot” of the Internet land.
Web3, the advent of which can be traced to the invention of blockchain technology, is very different.
Once the content, game, or simulation launches, the developers lose their ability to manipulate things.
There is no central authority as users themselves initiate events, perform actions, and make the “world” go round.
The metaverse is built in web3 technologies, and thus these virtual worlds are decentralized, immutable, and cannot be altered by any individual.
This allows a degree of freedom for users that is comparable to the freedom we enjoy in the physical world.
In other words, without any central authority, you as a user are free to interact with the digital space as you like it.
This is the core mechanics that makes the metaverse so revolutional.
The Metaverse in the Future?
The metaverse already has enough content to occupy, entertain, and connect a large number of people together in a digital reality.
But this is just an early phase of metaverse development.
Huge investments from tech giants such as Meta and Microsoft make the domain of the metaverse a lucrative space, which will certainly merit further development of the concept.
Once the technologies such as the Oculus headset get combined with new VR methods and even more advanced augmented reality hardware, the experience will only get more immersive and more and more people will opt to join the growing virtual spaces.
The whole goal of the metaverse is to create a cutting-edge platform to make sharing experiences with our dear ones even more immersive, on a scale that is comparable to the jump from phoning your friends to chatting on social media.
Do you remember the time before social media?
Would you give up the ease of connecting with people that social media has brought?
Imagine putting on a VR headset and immediately embracing a member of your family. Now compare that experience with FaceTiming them.
Even in the early stages, the difference is incomparable.
Now imagine schools, team building activities, and e-commerce. The allure of large social venues combined with the comfort of your home.
Research done remotely, yet in close cooperation. The possibilities are endless and we are heading straight towards them.
If you want to witness the revolution first-hand, access the metaverse now. After all, as you have found out how, there are no more obstacles.
See you in the metaverse!