The Metaverse Explained: Is this the future of computing?

Will the metaverse change how we work, socialize, and play games? Is this the first version of Ready Player One or even worse, the Matrix? In this video, we look at the metaverse and answer what it is, why you need it, how you can access it, and more. The term metaverse first appeared in the 1992 novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. In the novel, there’s a computer-generated universe that humans can visit via a terminal or high-quality goggles. You can interact with other humans in this world and some people spend most of their time here. The term stuck, and metaverse now refers to highly immersive 3D worlds where people can gather to socialize, play, and work. We look at the benefits companies and individuals may gain from the metaverse, and also review the challenges and downsides.

• Additional resources
  • Facebook / Meta’s metaverse announcement
  • Microsoft MESH announcement
  • What is Microsoft’s metaverse
  • Elon Musk on the metaverse
• Timestamps
  • 0:00 Introduction
  • 0:44 What is the metaverse?
  • 2:03 Metaverse origins
  • 3:01 The problem it solves
  • 4:13 Doesn’t it already exist?
  • 5:08 How to access it
  • 5:51 Benefits
  • 6:44 Challenges
  • 8:17 Meta’s strategy
  • 11:16 Microsoft’s strategy
  • 11:58 Other companies
  • 12:15 The future
  • 12:42 Wrap up