Metaverse Vs. Virtual Reality

Why Is There So Much Hype around Metaverse and VR?

The metaverse turned into one of the hottest topics of discussion in the tech space, especially after big companies started investing in it. Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Sony, and many other giants are diving into the metaverse with their unique platforms. The concept of metaverse gained prominence only after the announcement of Facebook rebranding to Meta in October 2021. Why did Facebook take such a step?

Interestingly, the announcement at a milestone by the company in selling 10 million Oculus VR headsets brings a lot of attention to virtual reality vs. metaverse comparisons. Well, many descriptions of the metaverse often paint it as something like using the internet in virtual environments. However, virtual reality would serve only as one of the components for interacting with the metaverse. Let us learn more about the metaverse and virtual reality to discover the best way to differentiate them.

Understanding the Metaverse

The first thing you need in a metaverse vs. VR debate is a detailed understanding of metaverse and VR. Metaverse is a concept that dates back to 1992, when a sci-fi novel author, Neal Stephenson, coined it in his novel ‘Snow Crash.’ In the novel, Stephenson describes the metaverse as a virtual world where the protagonist could escape from the real world.

The protagonist assumed a new avatar, completely different from his real life, and explored the metaverse. Years later, most of the definitions of metaverse draw parallel with the concept shown by Neal Stephenson. One of the common definitions of the metaverse paints it as the next stage in the evolution of internet technologies.

The metaverse is like an open and shared virtual world that allows users to explore and interact with different types of virtual spaces, content, and services in three-dimensional spaces. Interestingly, the metaverse empowers different users for developing virtual spaces and solutions, thereby establishing a creator economy.

Users can access the metaverse through VR and many other technologies such as AR glasses. You can also use your personal computer or smartphone to access the metaverse. Therefore, you can notice the answer for “what is the difference between metaverse and virtual reality” from clarity on the fact that VR is not the metaverse.

Aren’t Virtual Worlds Supposed to Be the Metaverse?

Well, you would surely have such doubts when you are reflecting on possible differences in the metaverse vs. virtual reality debate. The metaverse is not just any single virtual world you experience with VR technology. On the contrary, it will be a shared and persistent virtual world complementing the real world. A deeper reflection into how the concept of metaverse differs from today’s internet can provide some vital answers to the question.

In the metaverse, you would not be just a device requesting information from web servers. Metaverse users can access online content and the virtual spaces as a person in the form of digital avatars. Users can participate in various experiences in the metaverse as a virtual avatar, which resides in the virtual space. The metaverse would actually serve as a massive, shared virtual world where users don’t have any restrictions. For example, you don’t have to log out of a game to visit a virtual museum in the metaverse.

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality or VR, as the name implies, points out towards the creation of virtual environments driven by technology. From a technical perspective, virtual reality refers to a three-dimensional environment generated by computers. An individual could explore the virtual reality experience and interact with it in an immersive and engaging environment.

Users are immersed in the environments and can manipulate the objects or carry out different tasks in the VR environments. The definition of VR obviously blurs the line of difference between metaverse and virtual reality to an extent. However, it is important to understand that VR can offer access only to walled experiences or restricted virtual worlds.

A person could enter specific VR experiences by using special headsets and glasses associated with the system running the programs. The specialized devices help in elevating the immersive experiences of users with sensory elements in the virtual world, such as sight and sound.

In addition, you can also discover specific VR systems which enable users to wear gloves with electronic sensors. As of now, the major applications of VR have been identified in entertainment. On the other hand, the uses of virtual reality in education, as well as medical and military applications, have also started gaining momentum recently.