The mention of the term metaverse may make one think of Meta—the tech giant that houses WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. However, the metaverse isn’t entirely about the social media powerhouses.
It’s a landscape that has found its way into various sectors while garnering the most attention in gaming. Ever since the gaming industry adopted the metaverse, it has retained the craze among gamers. So, what exactly is the metaverse?
The metaverse is an online, 3D-connecting virtual space concept that links users to all facets of their lives. Picture a pretty straightforward daily routine—work, friends, family, socialising and more—taking place online; that’s what the metaverse is all about.
Most online and video games are played on a high-resolution screen and a set of HD audio headphones or speakers to create an immersive gaming experience. Now, imagine what a setup suited to a player’s reality can do to their experience. The gameplay will be immersive and closer to reality, and that’s where the future of gaming is headed.
But what role does the metaverse have to play? What are some aspects the metaverse leverages to create this fascinating experience?
For starters, there’s the element of augmented and virtual reality, commonly abbreviated as AR and VR.
Augmented reality can be taken as a real-time combination of user and digital information. In this case, AR provides the visuals, sound and other necessary sensory information through smartphones or a pair of glasses. The data is then applied to a gadget, say glasses, to create a scenario that alters how the user perceives the real world. Conversely, virtual reality is purely digital; any sounds, photos or words are presented in a digital format.
While discussing virtual reality, it can be exciting to see how the metaverse can link itself with virtual sports. Like spectators at horse racing, cricket or football matches, the metaverse can create a similar experience for virtual sports fans, and maybe even add an element of betting. Meanwhile, if you fancy sports betting sites there are top sites where you can get several options.
Another aspect is the emergence of blockchain and how it can complement the metaverse. A gamer can stock in-game assets such as skins, gold, armour, weapons or swords to improve their gameplay or enhance their reputation among their peers.
A typical example is the online gaming portal Axie Infinity which has fused aspects of a classic online game with the crypto Ethereum. Here, players can collect virtual pets and own virtual assets as they level up in the game.
With the metaverse creating a social platform where multiple players can interact, it’s no surprise individuals or teams can still earn while playing. Players can trade in-game assets for other in-game items or cryptocurrency. If gamers want to own a digital image in the metaverse, non-fungible tokens or NFTs can also be viable. That is to say, the subsequent meta-gaming and digital earnings can hugely boost a country’s economy.
Any game provider knows engaging gameplay goes a long way in creating an exciting gaming experience. As seen above, using augmented and virtual reality, NFTs and virtual in-game assets, among other items in the metaverse, will level up immersive gameplay.
