AI Could Resuscitate the Flagging Metaverse, Reports Suggest
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is making significant strides in the virtual reality (VR) world. Four years ago, the company rebranded itself as Meta, signaling its commitment to the metaverse. However, the metaverse revolution has not quite materialized as expected.
Meta VP Samantha Ryan admitted that early experiences with the metaverse were not great. Nevertheless, the company is pressing on, with promising developments on the horizon.
One of the most anticipated updates is the arrival of Discord as a native app on the Meta Quest. This move is expected to cater to niche discussion groups within the metaverse, providing a more interactive and immersive experience for users.
Gaming remains the chief VR-based activity, with 72% of VR headset users using it for immersive gameplay. Meta is capitalizing on this trend with the introduction of AI tools, which may allow future metaverse developers to better align with Engle's strategy and easily build custom worlds that appeal to niche sets of VR users.
Deadpool VR is a game demonstrating the gaming possibilities of a virtual, interactive space. The metaverse is not just about games, though. Meta is also developing AI-powered smart glasses, such as the Meta Ray-Ban Display and Meta Oakley Vanguard smart glasses. These devices are designed to integrate the digital and physical worlds, offering a glimpse of what the future metaverse might look like.
Golf+, originally a simplistic VR experience called Pro Putt, now caters to a niche community of real golfers with replicas of actual golf courses. According to Golf+ CEO Ryan Engle, more rounds are played in Golf+ in a single day than an average golf course sees in a single year.
Despite these developments, consumers are not enthused about living inside virtual reality headsets. Engle suggests that the keys to success in VR for developers are finding a niche, thinking longterm, and knowing one's customer.
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said it has been a choppy few years for the company. However, with the upcoming major updates to the Meta Horizon Engine and Meta Horizon Studio, tools used for building metaverse environments, Meta is showing no signs of slowing down.
A virtual Sabrina Carpenter concert was shown as an example of the potential of the metaverse. As Meta continues to innovate and refine its VR offerings, we can expect to see more immersive and engaging experiences like this in the future. The metaverse may still be a work in progress, but it's clear that Meta is committed to making it a reality.
