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You\u2019ve likely heard how the metaverse will bring a new era of digital connectivity, virtual reality (VR) experiences, and e-commerce. And tech companies are betting on it: Microsoft\u2019s massive $68.7 billion acquisition of game-developing giant Activision Blizzard<\/a> reflected the company\u2019s desire to bolster its position in the interactive entertainment space.<\/p>\n Prior to this, Facebook\u2019s parent company rebranded itself as Meta \u2014 a key pillar of founder Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s grand ambitions to reimagine the social media platform as \u201ca metaverse company, building the future of social connection<\/a>.\u201d But other non-tech corporations are clamoring to get in on the ground floor, from Nike filing new trademarks to sell virtual Air Jordans<\/a> to Walmart preparing to offer virtual merchandise in online stores using its own cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs)<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a journalism professor who has researched the future of immersive media, I agree the metaverse opens up transformative opportunities. But I also see inherent challenges on its road to mainstream adoption. So what exactly is the metaverse, and why is it being hyped up as a game-changing innovation?<\/p>\n The metaverse is \u201can integrated network of 3D virtual worlds,\u201d according to a study from ACM Computing Surveys<\/em><\/a>. These worlds are accessed through a virtual reality headset<\/a> \u2014 users navigate the metaverse using their eye movements, feedback controllers, or voice commands. The headset immerses the user, stimulating what is known as presence<\/a>, which is created by generating the physical sensation of actually being there. To see the metaverse in action, we can look at popular massively multiplayer virtual reality games like Rec Room<\/a> or Horizon Worlds<\/a>, where participants use avatars to interact with each other and manipulate their environment.<\/p>\n But the wider applications beyond gaming are staggering. Musicians and entertainment labels are experimenting with hosting concerts in the metaverse<\/a>. The sports industry is following suit<\/a>, with top franchises like Manchester City<\/a> building virtual stadiums so fans can watch games<\/a> and, presumably, purchase virtual merchandise.<\/p>\n Perhaps the farthest-reaching opportunities for the metaverse will be in online learning<\/a> and government services<\/a>. This is the popular conception of the metaverse: a VR-based world independent of our physical one where people can socialize and engage in a seemingly unlimited variety of virtual experiences, all supported by its own digital economy<\/a>.<\/p>\n But there are challenges to overcome before the metaverse can achieve widespread, global adoption. And one key challenge is the \u201cvirtual\u201d part of this universe. While VR is considered a key ingredient of the metaverse recipe, entrance to the metaverse is not (and should not be) be limited to having a VR headset. In a sense, anyone with a computer or smartphone can tap into a metaverse experience, such as the digital world of Second Life<\/a>. Offering broad accessibility is key to making the metaverse work based on VR\u2019s continued uphill battle to gain traction with consumers.<\/p>\n The VR market has seen remarkable innovations in a short period of time. A few years ago, people interested in home VR had to choose between expensive computer-based systems that tethered the user or low-cost but extremely limited smartphone-based headsets<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now we\u2019ve seen the arrival of affordable, ultra-high-quality, portable wireless headsets like Meta\u2019s Quest line<\/a>, which has quickly become the market leader in home VR. The graphics are sensational, the content library is more robust than ever, and the device costs less than most video game consoles. So why are so few people using VR?<\/p>\n On one hand, global sales of VR headsets have been growing<\/a>, with 2021 being a banner year for headset manufacturers, who had their best sales since 2016\u2019s flurry of big-brand VR device releases<\/a>. But they still only sold roughly 11 million devices worldwide. Getting people to even use their devices can be a challenge, as it\u2019s estimated only 28 percent of people who own VR headsets use them on a daily basis<\/a>. As numerous tech critics have pointed out<\/a>, the VR mainstream revolution that has been promised for years<\/a> has largely failed to come to fruition<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are myriad factors, from missed marketing opportunities<\/a> to manufacturing obstacles<\/a>, as to why VR hasn\u2019t caught on in a bigger way. But it\u2019s possible that using VR is inherently unappealing for a significant number of people, particularly for frequent use. Despite impressive advancements in screen technology, VR developers are still trying to address what\u2019s called cybersickness<\/a> \u2014 a feeling of nausea akin to motion sickness \u2014 their devices elicit in many users.<\/p>\n Studies have found that neck physical discomfort<\/a> may present another barrier, which could remain an issue as long as VR requires the use of large headsets. There\u2019s also research to suggest that women experience much higher levels of discomfort<\/a> because the fit of the headset is optimized for men. And beyond the physical challenges of using VR is the isolating nature of it: \u201cOnce you put on the headset, you\u2019re separated from the world around you,\u201d wrote Ramona Pringle, a digital technology professor and researcher, in a CBC<\/em> Op-Ed<\/a>.<\/p>\n Certainly, some are drawn to VR to experience heightened escapism or to interact with others virtually. But this disconnection from the physical world, and the uneasy feeling of separation from people, may be a significant hurdle in getting people to voluntarily wear a headset for hours at a time<\/a>.<\/p>\n Augmented reality (AR) experiences<\/a> may hold the key for the metaverse to reach its true potential. With AR, users use their smartphone (or another device) to digitally enhance what they perceive in the physical world in real-time<\/a>, allowing them to tap into a virtual world while still feeling present in this one.<\/p>\n A metaverse centered on augmented reality wouldn\u2019t be a completely new digital world \u2014 it would intersect with our real world. It\u2019s this version of the metaverse that could actually have the ability to change the way we live, argues computer scientist and tech writer Louis Rosenberg in another report from The Conversation<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cI believe the vision portrayed by many Metaverse companies of a world filled with cartoonish avatars is misleading. Yes, virtual worlds for socializing will become quite popular, but [they] will not be the means through which immersive media transforms society. The true Metaverse \u2014 the one that becomes the central platform of our lives \u2014 will be an augmented world. If we do it right, it will be magical, and it will be everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This article is republished from <\/em>The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a> by Assistant Professor of Journalism Adrian Ma<\/a>, of Toronto Metropolitan University<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nMore than virtual reality<\/h2>\n
Virtual movement, physical discomfort<\/h2>\n
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