The rise and staying power of the metaverse

Over the past two and a half years, we have witnessed a surge in the popularity and prevalence of new digital experiences in the nascent metaverse. There, consumers are transported to a virtual world that mimics real-life experiences using state-of-the-art virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and more.

Aside from the hype and across industries, there is real opportunity and staying power for metaverse opportunities. In fact, Gartner recently named the metaverse one of the top five emerging trends and technologies. The 3D and immersive nature of technology is the foundation of the metaverse, unlocking new ways of working, communicating, learning, playing and living.

As networking technology continues to expand, its speed and power will enable massive amounts of data to flow between cloud servers and devices, creating experiences unlike anything we’ve seen before. Here are a few ways the metaverse will become part of our lives.

Gamifying our daily lives

The metaverse represents the next generation of digital experiences. Users will be able to have unlimited interactions within a virtual community, from meeting colleagues to owning land (digitally, of course).

While gaming has been around for decades, we’re only now getting a sense of the breadth of the metaverse and gamification. For example, games like 30 Helios (a narrative mobile AR adventure) use a kind of 3D hologram to give users a new perspective on mobile entertainment. Here your mobile device is the portal to the metaverse. Players move into an enhanced version of their actual physical space (home, apartment, office) to hack into “breakdowns” in their space; once the glitches are hacked they unlock more stories.

Companies involved

Enterprises rely on the metaverse to bring experiences far beyond gaming to a wide variety of purposes. These include simulated job training, sales and marketing positions for a variety of industries, and even things like aircraft design, simulation and city planning.

We could even see a world where information is presented to users in real time, using AI algorithms. Take the process of renting or buying an apartment. A user can walk the streets of New York City and, through the use of glasses, be connected to a real estate application that shows them in real time (via AI) which buildings have apartments for rent and connects them to a real estate agent then and there .

A new kind of travel

Imagine what it would be like to travel the world without investing too much money or time, or even having a fear of flying. In the metaverse, AR and VR can allow users to explore countries, cities, and destinations they’ve always dreamed of visiting. As the metaverse continues to evolve, users experience more sophisticated multi-sensory experiences along the way – and so the idea of ​​virtual tourism expands.

Virtual tourism means access for people of all backgrounds and abilities to almost any location, personalized guest experiences and unparalleled entertainment. Users could experience immersive museum tours, taste wine from France and climb the highest mountains.

The City of Madrid recently launched a free, 360-degree virtual tour for curious tourists so they can make informed decisions about what to see when they visit in person. This virtual tour covers approximately 40 of the Spanish city’s most popular tourist attractions, including museums, plazas, gardens, cathedrals and a variety of different cultural institutions.

The technology could eventually allow us to travel to past landmarks, such as the Colosseum at the height of its glory or Pompeii before the volcanic eruption.

Like the virtual tour of Madrid, these kinds of metaverse platforms can also serve as a starting point for travelers who then plan to book a personalized trip based on their favorite metaverse experiences.

How the metaverse can build a future accessible to all

Diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility are areas where the metaverse can have a significant impact in creating a more accessible future.

According to the CDC, approximately 61 million people in the US live with disabilities. For many of these people, the metaverse can provide solutions to everyday challenges. For example, visually impaired users can benefit from high color contrast. Those with hearing problems can benefit from real-time subtitles and captions. People with cognitive difficulties can benefit from using shapes, colors and images to communicate ideas. Legally blind people could benefit from technology such as 3D audio echolocation when exploring 3D worlds.

Trust, security, and privacy are issues developers need to keep top-of-mind as they code the digital path forward. In the metaverse we essentially have a group of strangers coming together and interacting in different ways. It is important to consider the magnitude of negative interactions, such as sharing inaccurate information. Designing environments and experiences for everyone to thrive in is an important consideration for developers.

Ultimately, the metaverse enhances the physical world and the interactions that keep our human connections strong. While we’ve seen tremendous growth and expansion in recent years, we’re just at the beginning of what’s possible.

Frank Boulben is Chief Revenue Officer of Verizon Consumer Group.