When Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company would be known as Meta he also announced the metaverse focus.
He indicated that the company would focus on building the metaverse. Thereafter a number of other companies also announced their metaverse strategies.
At the same time, there was no shortage of doubters who felt that the metaverse was just a dream. For a moment the metaverse shifted focus from cryptocurrencies.
The metaverse hype was, however, short lived as artificial intelligence became the talk of the town. I’ve always maintained that the metaverse is real and that it will form part of our future.
In this regard it seems I’m not alone. You just have to look at recent product launches by Apple and Meta.
In June 2023 Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro.
It is an upcoming mixed-reality headset developed by Apple.
During the launch, Apple indicated that it’s a spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world, while allowing users to stay present and connected to others.
It was also described as a device that creates an infinite canvas for apps that scales beyond the boundaries of a traditional display and introduces a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible – a user’s eyes, hands, and voice.
It is one of the few devices that will make the metaverse a reality.
Early demonstrations of the device indicate that it can serve as a tool that can introduce the metaverse in the workplace.
What is the metaverse for everyone else? How will people interact with the virtual world?
Last week, Zuckerberg shared more about how they will make this a reality.
He shared more details about a collaboration between Meta (formerly Facebook) and EssilorLuxottica (Ray-Ban parent company).
The two companies collaborated in the creation of sunglasses, now known as Ray-Ban Meta. They are smart glasses that combine Meta technology and Ray-Ban style. They enable a user to answer calls and take shareable videos.
There’s no doubt that the Ray-Ban Meta is the kind of device that will drive the adoption of the Meta-created metaverse.
Some have raised privacy concerns about a pair of glasses that can take videos, and I agree that will need attention.
In terms of making the metaverse mainstream, these two devices will take us closer to experiencing virtual reality at work and in our daily lives.
In a world that has questioned the need and feasibility of the metaverse, they are showing us that it’s a possibility.
They are also showing us that some tech companies are hard at work creating products that will be aligned with the metaverse vision.
It’s also becoming clear that all these new technologies that are hyped from time to time are just part of creating new digital experiences of the future.
Crypto will matter in the metaverse in the same way that AI will also be useful.
We need to start looking at these technologies as pieces of the puzzle that will create an amazing digital canvas.
The metaverse is not something to forget about yet. We need to start preparing for it and align business strategies in line with other technologies that will make it a reality.
Zuckerberg would not have invested in this technology if it was just a fad. It’s time for businesses to develop their own metaverse plans, or else they will be left behind with just physical-world solutions with no presence in the virtual world.
Wesley Diphoko is the Editor-In-Chief of FastCompany (SA) magazine.
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