What is a metaverse?

Since Facebook changed its name to Meta, the word metavers has appeared on social media and networks. Find out more about the characteristics of metavers in this article.

Definition and history of the metaverse

The concept first appeared in 1968 in the novel Simulacron 3 by Daniel F. Galouye. The word metaverse was later defined in 1973 in the film "The Virtual Samurai", released in 1992 and created by Neal Stephenson.

In concrete terms, a metaverse is a fictitious virtual world connected to the Internet and allowing a user to travel in virtual spaces and to exchange and share with other users.

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How does it work?

Although the term metaverse has been around for many years, it has only recently come into its own thanks to new technologies and the technological advances of recent years.

A metaverse is possible thanks to augmented reality and virtual reality. Augmented reality allows virtual elements to be superimposed on a real environment using connected glasses, smartphones or tablets as well as webcams. Virtual reality, on the other hand, simulates the physical presence of a user in an environment artificially generated by software using specific hardware.

So there are two types of metavers at the moment, but currently the augmented reality metavers are more accessible to everyone.

The metaverse in augmented reality

An augmented reality metaverse is designed to be used from your smartphone or smart glasses, so it is easier for everyone to access a world in this way.
Even if the user is not necessarily placed in a virtual 100% universe, this metaverse can become very popular and may even help us in our daily lives.

The metaverse in virtual reality

As explained above, the VR metaverse requires a virtual reality headset. Through the headset, the user will be projected into a fictional 100% environment. Meta is currently investing in the research and design of such metavers to recreate a virtual world for everyone.