We know Augmented Reality is the Future-Here’s Why: A blog about why Augmented Reality will be the future.



What is the future of the metaverse?

In the last decade, the idea of the metaverse has been referenced in media, marketing, and even real life. But what is the metaverse? The idea of a metaverse is one where all of these 3D virtual worlds are projected into one along with augmented reality.



A metaverse is an immersive virtual space that can host large amounts of information about posts, forums, and other information in the virtual world. Its primary purpose is to connect people in a digital world, but it can also be used as a form of entertainment and/or education. While the metaverse isn’t here yet, it is expected to be created sooner than people think!

The Metaverse is an active topic of discussion for futurists, technologists and science fiction writers. And it turns out that a metaverse has been with us for some time now. We just call it the Internet.

The Origins of the metaverse

While the term metaverse may be new to some, it has been around as a concept for nearly three decades. American science fiction author Neal Stephenson introduced the metaverse in his 1992 novel, Snow Crash. In the novel (like others in its genre), users use metaverse as an escape from a futuristic, largely dystopian world.



Over the last 30 years, the industry has laid the foundations for a non-fictional metaverse brick by brick. Virtual reality headsets have become more ergonomic and affordable. Global internet penetration has steadily risen. The popularity of online gaming, often reaching tournament levels, has made it possible to envision and execute sophisticated digital avatars, tradable digital assets, and even digital real estate.



Indeed, Facebook isn’t the first company to think about the metaverse. In March, we wrote about the 2017 startup Decentraland, which works on virtually the exact same premise.



Decentraland is backed by $25.5 million in funding and provides users with a VR environment builder, customisable avatars, a crypto-enabled marketplace, digital wallets, and a governance system. Facebook is looking to build a similar experience, but one that intersects with pre-existing, non-AR/VR social media. It announced its pivot into AR/VR in September 2021, along with launching its own take on the metaverse.