The metaverse refers to a broad variety of virtual experiences, locations, and assets that developed in popularity during the pandemic’s online-everything transition. These new technologies, when combined, hint at what the internet will become in the future.

A metaverse is a network of 3D virtual spaces aimed at fostering interaction. The word is often used in futurism and science fiction to represent a potential iteration of the Internet as a single, global virtualized world facilitated by the deployment of virtual and augmented reality headgear.

The metaverse is a hybrid of virtual, augmented, and physical reality that blurs the lines between online and offline activities. But, to put it another way, it’s a collection of platforms like the Sandbox, Mirandus, and Decentraland where individuals may communicate in a variety of ways. Since Mark Zuckerberg declared that Facebook would change its name to Meta and invest at least $10 billion in the metaverse, interest in it has exploded. Businesses have already begun to establish new endeavors in this digital area as more individuals continue to make their bets on a future embedded in the metaverse.

The internet is part of the metaverse, but it is so much more. And, while it may still be far off in the future, it appears to be closer than it has ever been.

Virtual reality, which is characterized by persistent virtual environments that exist even when you’re not playing, and augmented reality, which blends features of the digital and physical worlds, are two technologies that make up the metaverse. It does not, however, necessitate that those areas be only accessible through VR or AR. A virtual environment that can be accessed through PCs, gaming consoles, and even phones, such as Facebook, might be metaversal.

It also refers to a digital economy in which users may design, purchase, and sell products. It’s also interoperable, letting you move virtual objects like clothes or vehicles from one platform to another, under the more idealistic visions of the metaverse. In the real world, you can go to the mall and buy a shirt, then wear it to the movies. Most platforms already feature virtual identities, avatars, and inventories that are bound to a unified platform, but a metaverse might allow you to create a persona that you can take with you wherever you go as easy as copying your profile image from one social network to another.