Let’s admit it: life is far from perfect. Bad weather, irritating people, deadlines, traffic jams – literally anything can spoil our mood and make us dream of relocating to a better place… How about moving to the metaverse? At least spending part of your life there. If you have ever had such thoughts, this article will help you weigh all pros and cons, and decide whether building a metaverse career or spending your days in a virtual city is a good idea.
What can I do in the metaverse?
In a metaverse, there are a wide range of activities that you can do depending on the specific platform and community you are engaging with. Here are some examples:
- Socialize with other users. You can interact with other users in a metaverse and make friends or even join communities and groups that align with your interests.
- Explore virtual environments. You can explore different virtual worlds, each with its own unique themes and landscapes, and discover new places and experiences.
- Participate in events. You can attend events such as concerts, conferences, and festivals that are hosted in the metaverse.
- Create and customize your own avatar. You can create and customize your own virtual persona to represent you in the metaverse.
- Build and design your own virtual objects. You can build and design your own virtual objects and structures using tools and resources provided by the metaverse.
- Play games. You can play games with other users in the metaverse, such as puzzle games or multiplayer games.
- Buy and sell virtual goods. You can buy and sell virtual goods such as clothing, furniture, and other accessories for your avatar.
Overall, the possibilities of what you can do in a metaverse are virtually limitless and depend on the creativity of the platform and its users.
“But what is so special about doing it all in a virtual city?” – you’d ask. In fact, building a career or just spending your leisure time in a metaverse has a few advantages (just like drawbacks, but we will discuss them later).
The Advantages of the Metaverse
Although a fully developed metaverse may not materialize for another ten years or more, there are currently a number of advantages and new uses for the technology.
Hosting improbable, if not impossible, events
Few people have the courage to ascend the Mountains, surf the biggest waves, or go to the furthest reaches of space. Yet, it is anticipated that the metaverse will offer realistic experiences like this to the general public in private settings. One benefit of the immersive experience is that it enables impressions and events you wouldn’t otherwise have.
Greater access to virtual experiences for everybody
The metaverse may act as an equalizer by opening up experiences that were previously out of reach due to barriers like cost, location, or physical limitations. A lot of things are available nowadays, like a ride over the Grand Canyon, but not everyone has the time and money to accomplish it. You can live the life you wish to live, thanks to the metaverse.
Increased social contact and realistic interactions
In addition to having new experiences in the metaverse, users may anticipate being able to share those experiences in real-time with friends, family, or anybody else they choose, just as if they were physically present together.
Detailed virtual world representations of real-life items
The metaverse will improve people’s ability to perceive and interact with actual physical items. For instance, a vehicle buyer may visit an auto dealer on a completely immersive spatial web, look at automobile models, and test drive them just like they would in real life.
Improved co-creation and cooperation
People will be able to cooperate as if they were all in the same room since the metaverse promises to emulate real-world social interactions and properly portray physical items in three dimensions. For example, utilizing VR headsets and real-time support from surgeons in their home countries, doctors in Brazil successfully divided conjoined twins.
Better training and testing efficiency
The metaverse will offer a whole new level of testing and training with remarkable efficiency in addition to supporting remote work and cooperation across geographical and physical barriers. Instead of using actual resources, teams will be able to train and practice in the metaverse while also testing ideas. Many organizations view this kind of application as a gateway into the metaverse. Respondents in one study ranked onboarding and training as the top two business use cases, followed by interacting with coworkers.
New commercial possibilities
The endless potential of the metaverse extends beyond IT firms and gaming hubs. Companies are starting to leverage experiences that resemble the metaverse to connect, engage, and interact with customers in novel ways. Luxury fashion brands are already selling virtual copies of their products in digital department stores, while Fidelity Investments developed an immersive experience in Decentraland to educate and engage consumers.
The Drawbacks of the Metaverse
Businesses and people need to be aware of any potential roadblocks on the way to the metaverse.
It’s not equally comfortable for everyone
Users may feel simulator sickness (a type of motion sickness) when participating in immersive activities. Technological advancements alleviate the latency concerns that result in motion sickness, but she admitted that certain people might encounter difficulties with completely immersive experiences in virtual environments. It’s possible that those with visual or aural impairments will struggle in the metaverse.
Higher prices for equipment
To access the metaverse, both individuals and businesses will need to pay a fee. For flawless interaction, people will need to purchase the necessary equipment, such as VR headsets. Businesses are considering higher expenses as they decide how they’ll use the metaverse, when to start investing, and what capabilities they’ll need to buy to achieve their goals.
Possibility of violence, harassment, and bullying
Metaverse-like experiences can be different, just as much as in the real world. Conflicts and troubles are impossible to avoid, especially at the beginning of the metaverse era. Projects will have to think about the potential for such problems and what safeguards and policies they’ll need to establish to address those issues.
Added security and privacy concerns
There are still unanswered questions on how businesses will handle privacy in the metaverse. For instance, would businesses demand that avatars reveal their true identities always or just occasionally? Will they keep and utilize the copious amounts of information they get on specific users in the metaverse, or will users or government authorities try to restrict the use of information? And how can companies protect the metaverse given that new technologies like VR headsets will increase the risk of security breaches?
It may cause addiction
Some people searching for an escape from their routine life may find the metaverse to be more addicting than video games. The difference between reality and virtual reality is blurred when a person spends hours in a perfect digital world – it’s too nice to leave.
To move or not to move – this is the question
If you’re still hesitating whether metaverses are worth your attention, let the numbers speak. The global metaverse market was worth USD 68.49 bln in 2022 and is projected to surpass USD 1.3 trillion by 2030 with a registered CAGR of 44.5% during the forecast period 2022 to 2030. Metaverses’ potential is nothing to sneeze at!
The metaverse is a seamless integration of virtual and real worlds that allows its virtual residents to connect, work, play, and rest in a single, virtual community. There is already an immense scope of things that can be done in virtual cities, and many new profitable occupations will appear soon.
If you enjoy video gaming experience, you can also shift your focus to metaverses and explore new-generation projects, such as Bluelight.inc. Combining advanced gameplay and crypto rewards, it emerges players in the atmosphere of a virtual Silicon Valley San Crypto and tycoons. Representing a more engaging alternative to play-to-earn games, other free-to-play projects are also hitting the market, – don’t hesitate to explore them and enjoy a first-class metaverse experience.
Image by Riki32 from Pixabay
