The Metaverse in a nutshell

What actually is Metaverse ?

In this day and age, there are all sorts of crazy terms you hear. One of them is The Metaverse. If you are wondering "what is The Metaverse?" then this is quite normal as this is a new concept. Yet, it is growing very fast. More and more companies are starting to use it. Facebook is the company that started it. For those who don't know, Facebook has done a major rebranding. Facebook is now Meta.

The Metaverse is a complex concept, but you know more about it than you would think. It's video games, social media, the internet, online shopping, and more, all rolled into one.

The Metaverse is actually a virtual world where people can interact with each other. In this virtual world, the players are represented as digital avatars, and the possibilities that you can do here are endless.

Metaverse possibilities

There are a number of specific things you can do in The Metaverse.

1. Networking

What is already very obvious is that people can seek social contact here. You get to know other players in games. It follows that you will test your skills and work together with others who are a good fit for your team.

2. Invest and do business

Here it is important that you know the terms "NFT" and "cryptocurrency". These 2 are important in The Metaverse for investing in this platform.

Cryptocurrency is a term that includes digital currency platforms. This term is an unregulated digital currency that works through a blockchain system, constantly changing in value. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the best known cryptocurrencies to date.

3. NFTs (Non Fungible Token) as an investment

The other investment possibility are NFTs . This means that an NFT has a unique digital signature which is considered a certificate of ownership. An NFT can be anything; a piece of digital real estate, a painting, a photograph, and much more. If you buy an NFT it means that it belongs to you. Many people think that taking a screenshot also means that the NFT belongs to them. But it doesn't work like that, they don't own the digital signature.

Countless NFTs have already been sold for millions of dollars. So at the moment it is a smart investment. So if your main reason for immersing yourself in The Metaverse is investing, then NFTs are definitely for you.

4. Shopping

The cryptocurrencies discussed above can be used today for anything to buy products, from clothes to houses and everything in between. This applies to in real life as in the virtual world. The player can also buy upgrades, skins, shoes, outfits, etc. for his avatar in the virtual world.

How can you explore the Metaverse?

Up until recently, you could hear vague answers like "There is no definitive answer to this question as the metaverse is still being defined and developed. However, some ways to explore the metaverse could include using virtual reality technology to visit virtual worlds or using augmented reality technology to overlay virtual objects onto the real world.".

But well, you want to dive right in right? So let's talk about it like humans.

1. Get a headset. The most popular and budget-friendly one on the market today is the Oculus Quest 2.
2. Go to the Oculus Store and grab these free apps: VRChat, Horizon Worlds, Horizon Venues, AltspaceVR, Rec Room. Don't look for a single app called "Metaverse", since Metaverse is an umbrella term of a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection!
3. Put your headset on and try them. If you get a little lost in the beginning, don't give up yet. Try to find spaces that you enjoy and interact with others!

VRChat is a good first experience Metaverse experience

VRChat is an online that allows users to interact with others with user-created 3D avatars and worlds. VRChat is primarily designed for use with headsets, but is also usable without VR in a "desktop" mode designed for either a mouse and keyboard.

It dates back to 2014, so these guys are building their pioneering Metaverse app for quite some time!