View source for Metaverse

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Short description|Collective three-dimensional virtual shared space}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Multiverse}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
[[File:Second Life 11th Birthday Live Drax Files Radio Hour.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Avatar (computing)|Avatars]] socialising in the virtual world ''[[Second Life]]''|alt=A screenshot of Second Life with people-like models sitting outside on couches around a coffee table. The person second from the right is in a red character suit. In the background in the distance, behind matchstick-shaped trees, are four towers. One tower is glowing with energy, and the tower on the far right is actually a giant space suit. Being a video game from the 2000s, the graphical fidelity is low, lacking shadows, ambient occlusion, and complex materials.]]

A '''metaverse''' is a [[virtual world]] in which users interact while represented by [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=RITTERBUSCH |first1=GEORG DAVID |last2=TEICHMANN |first2=AND MALTE ROLF |date=9 February 2023 |title=Defining the Metaverse: A Systematic Literature Review |journal=IEEE Access|volume=11 |pages=12368–12377 |doi=10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3241809 |bibcode=2023IEEEA..1112368R |doi-access=free }}</ref> typically in a 3D display, with the experience focused on social and economic connection.<ref name=":032">{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=July 22, 2021 |title=Mark Zuckerberg is betting Facebook's future on the metaverse |url=https://www.theverge.com/22588022/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-ceo-metaverse-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025042942/https://www.theverge.com/22588022/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-ceo-metaverse-interview |archive-date=October 25, 2021 |access-date=October 25, 2021 |website=The Verge}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last1=Ritterbusch |first1=Georg David |last2=Teichmann |first2=Malte Rolf |date=2023 |title=Defining the Metaverse: A Systematic Literature Review |journal=IEEE Access |volume=11 |pages=12368–12377 |bibcode=2023IEEEA..1112368R |doi=10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3241809 |issn=2169-3536 |s2cid=256562095 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=October 4, 2021 |title=What is the metaverse, and do I have to care? |url=https://www.theverge.com/22701104/metaverse-explained-fortnite-roblox-facebook-horizon |access-date=March 9, 2022 |website=The Verge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Clark |first=Peter Allen |date=November 15, 2021 |title=What Is the Metaverse and Why Should I Care? |url=https://time.com/6116826/what-is-the-metaverse/ |access-date=December 29, 2021 |magazine=Time}}</ref> 

The term ''metaverse'' originated in the 1992 science fiction novel ''[[Snow Crash]]'' as a [[portmanteau]] of "[[Meta (prefix)|meta]]" and "[[universe]]".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zenou |first=Theo |date=June 30, 2022 |title=A novel predicted the metaverse (and hyperinflation) 30 years ago |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/06/30/snow-crash-neal-stephenson-metaverse/ |access-date=September 7, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ball |first=Matthew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pdZKEAAAQBAJ&q=%22snow+crash%22 |title=The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything |date=July 19, 2022 |publisher=Liveright Publishing |isbn=978-1-324-09204-9}}</ref> In ''Snow Crash'', the metaverse is envisioned as a version of the [[Internet]] that is a single, universal, and immersive [[virtual world]], facilitated by the use of [[virtual reality]] (VR) and [[augmented reality]] (AR) headsets.<ref name="O'Brian-Chan">{{cite news |last1=O'Brian |first1=Matt |last2=Chan |first2=Kelvin |date=October 28, 2021 |title=EXPLAINER: What is the metaverse and how will it work? |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/explainer-metaverse-work-80842516 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204012219/https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/explainer-metaverse-work-80842516 |archive-date=December 4, 2021 |access-date=December 4, 2021 |work=ABC News |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name=":032" /> 

The term "metaverse" is often linked to virtual reality technology,<ref name=":82">{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Dalvin |date=August 30, 2021 |title=What is the 'metaverse'? Facebook says it's the future of the Internet. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/30/what-is-the-metaverse/ |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite web |last=Antin |first=Doug |date=May 5, 2020 |title=The Technology of the Metaverse, It's Not Just VR |url=https://medium.com/swlh/the-technology-of-the-metaverse-its-not-just-vr-78fb3c603fe9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025222109/https://medium.com/swlh/the-technology-of-the-metaverse-its-not-just-vr-78fb3c603fe9 |archive-date=October 25, 2021 |access-date=October 25, 2021 |website=The Startup}}</ref> and beginning in the early 2020s, with [[Web3]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fannin |first=Rebecca |date=April 14, 2022 |title=Hong Kong's 'Mr. Metaverse' on why he's placing a big Web3 bet against Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/14/mr-metaverse-on-why-hes-placing-a-web3-bet-against-mark-zuckerberg.html |access-date=April 26, 2022 |website=CNBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 8, 2022 |title=The Metaverse Requires a Whole New Vocabulary to Navigate Web3 |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-08/what-s-the-metaverse-web3-terms-for-a-new-virtual-world |access-date=April 26, 2022}}</ref> The term has been used as a [[buzzword]] by companies<ref name="O'Brian-Chan" /><ref name="Fischer">{{cite news |last1=Fischer |first1=Sarah |date=November 16, 2021 |title="Metaverse" is Wall Street's new favorite buzzword |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |url=https://www.axios.com/2021/11/16/metaverse-wall-streets-favorite-buzzword |url-status=live |access-date=December 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204012219/https://news.yahoo.com/metaverse-wall-streets-favorite-buzzword-105525196.html |archive-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref> to exaggerate the development progress of various related technologies and projects for [[public relations]] purposes.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ravenscraft |first=Eric |date=December 26, 2021 |title=The Metaverse Land Rush Is an Illusion |url=https://www.wired.com/story/metaverse-land-rush-illusion/ |magazine=Wired |issn=1059-1028 |access-date=December 28, 2021}}</ref> [[Information privacy]], user addiction, and user safety are concerns within the metaverse, stemming from challenges facing the social media and video game industries as a whole.<ref name="O'Brian-Chan" /><ref name=":22">{{Cite news |last=Needleman |first=Sarah E. |date=October 16, 2021 |title=The Amazing Things You'll Do in the 'Metaverse' and What It Will Take to Get There |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-amazing-things-youll-do-in-the-metaverse-and-what-it-will-take-to-get-there-11634396401 |url-status=live |access-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025044104/https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-amazing-things-youll-do-in-the-metaverse-and-what-it-will-take-to-get-there-11634396401 |archive-date=October 25, 2021 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref name=":102">{{Cite book|last1=Rajan|first1=Amala|last2=Nassiri|first2=Nasser|last3=Akre|first3=Vishwesh|last4=Ravikumar|first4=Rejitha|last5=Nabeel|first5=Amal|last6=Buti|first6=Maryam|last7=Salah|first7=Fatima|title=2018 Fifth HCT Information Technology Trends (ITT)|date=November 1, 2018|chapter=Virtual Reality Gaming Addiction|chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331347512|pages=358–363|doi=10.1109/CTIT.2018.8649547|isbn=978-1-5386-7147-4|s2cid=67876446|access-date=November 3, 2021|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207063210/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331347512_Virtual_Reality_Gaming_Addiction|url-status=live}}</ref>

== History and implementations ==
[[File:Un enfant portant un casque de réalité virtuelle (Exalto, Villeurbanne).jpg|thumb|Some software platforms require a [[virtual reality headset]] to explore the metaverse.]]
Components of metaverse technology have already been developed within online [[video game]]s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=November 7, 2021 |title=So what is 'the metaverse', exactly? |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/11/everyone-pitching-the-metaverse-has-a-different-idea-of-what-it-is/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109041036/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/11/everyone-pitching-the-metaverse-has-a-different-idea-of-what-it-is/ |archive-date=November 9, 2021 |access-date=November 9, 2021 |website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref> The 2003 [[virtual world]] platform ''[[Second Life]]'' is often described as the first metaverse,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tidy |first=Joe |date=November 5, 2021 |title=Zuckerberg's metaverse: Lessons from Second Life |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59180273 |url-status=live |access-date=November 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113200715/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59180273 |archive-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name="usatoday-rosedale-interview3">{{cite news|last=Maney|first=Kevin|date=February 4, 2007|title=The king of alter egos is surprisingly humble guy|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|url=https://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070205/secondlife_cover.art.htm|access-date=February 20, 2007|archive-date=February 18, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218101947/http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070205/secondlife_cover.art.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> as it incorporated many aspects of social media into a persistent three-dimensional world with the user represented as an [[Avatar (computing)|avatar]], but historical claims of metaverse development started soon after the term was coined. Early projects included ''[[Active Worlds]]''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Active Worlds for Windows (1995) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/active-worlds |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111080607/https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/active-worlds |archive-date=November 11, 2021 |access-date=November 3, 2021 |website=MobyGames}}</ref> and ''[[The Palace (computer program)|The Palace]]''.

Popular games described as part of the metaverse include [[Habbo|''Habbo Hotel'']],<ref name=":82" /> ''[[World of Warcraft]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last=Woods |first=Bob |date=May 7, 2022 |title=In Microsoft's Activision deal, it's not just stock prices but a future world at stake |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/07/in-microsofts-activision-deal-a-future-world-is-at-stake.html |work=[[CNBC]] |accessdate=May 8, 2022}}</ref> ''[[Minecraft]]'',<ref name=":82" /> ''[[Fortnite]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last=Webster |first=Andrew |date=March 18, 2021 |title=Fortnite's Experimental Story Is An Attempt To Create 'The Entertainment Experience Of The Future' |url=https://www.theverge.com/22338403/fortnite-story-narrative-interview-donald-mustard-epic-games |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503145155/https://www.theverge.com/22338403/fortnite-story-narrative-interview-donald-mustard-epic-games |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |access-date=May 3, 2021 |work=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> ''[[VRChat]]'',<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PHT-zBxKQQ |title=Making Sense of VRChat, the 'Metaverse' People Actually Like |date=May 17, 2022 |last=Smith |first=Quinton |type=Video |publisher=[[People Make Games]] |others=Design and art direction by Anni Sayers |access-date=June 24, 2022 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> and game creation platform ''[[Roblox]].''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wakefield |first=Jane |date=March 10, 2021 |title=Roblox: How the children's game became a $30bn bet on the Metaverse |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56345586 |access-date=January 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sidhwani |first=Priyansh |date=March 12, 2021 |title=The History Of Roblox : From 2004 Until Now |url=https://techstory.in/the-history-of-roblox-from-2004-until-now/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420215249/https://techstory.in/the-history-of-roblox-from-2004-until-now/ |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |access-date=November 3, 2021 |website=TechStory}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Nike gets ahead of the Metaverse and creates 'Nikeland', its own virtual world on Roblox |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/398619 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126054401/https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/398619 |archive-date=November 26, 2021 |access-date=November 26, 2021 |website=entrepreneur.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=November 19, 2020 |title=Roblox goes public so that it can build a bigger metaverse |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/19/21578491/roblox-ipo-announced-dau-increase-pandemic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201062700/https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/19/21578491/roblox-ipo-announced-dau-increase-pandemic |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |access-date=December 1, 2021 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> In a January 2022 interview with ''Wired'', Second Life creator [[Philip Rosedale]] described the metaverse as a [[three-dimensional space|three-dimensional]] Internet that is populated with live people.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Edelman |first=Gilad |date=January 27, 2022 |title=How to Build a Better Metaverse |url=https://www.wired.com/story/metaverse-philip-rosedale-second-life/ |magazine=Wired |issn=1059-1028 |access-date=January 27, 2022}}</ref> Social interaction and 3D virtual worlds are often an integral feature in many [[massively multiplayer online game]]s.

In 2017, [[Microsoft]] acquired the VR company [[AltspaceVR]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Langston |first=Jennifer |date=March 2, 2021 |title='You can actually feel like you're in the same place': Microsoft Mesh powers shared experiences in mixed reality |url=https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/microsoft-mesh/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103093804/https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/microsoft-mesh/ |archive-date=November 3, 2021 |access-date=November 3, 2021 |website=Innovation Stories}}</ref> and implemented virtual avatars and meetings held in virtual reality into [[Microsoft Teams]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=November 2, 2021 |title=Microsoft Teams enters the metaverse race with 3D avatars and immersive meetings |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/2/22758974/microsoft-teams-metaverse-mesh-3d-avatars-meetings-features |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117090313/https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/2/22758974/microsoft-teams-metaverse-mesh-3d-avatars-meetings-features |archive-date=November 17, 2021 |access-date=November 17, 2021 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> Microsoft shut-down AltspaceVR in March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=AltspaceVR |first=Team |date=2023-01-20 |title=AltspaceVR to Sunset the Platform on March 10, 2023 |url=https://altvr.com/sunset/ |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=AltspaceVR |language=en-US |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310100938/https://altvr.com/sunset/ |archive-date=March 10, 2023}}</ref> 

In 2019, the social network company Facebook launched a social VR world called ''[[Horizon Worlds|Facebook Horizon]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=September 25, 2019 |title=Facebook announces Horizon, a VR massive-multiplayer world |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/25/facebook-horizon/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207063211/https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/25/facebook-horizon/ |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |access-date=November 3, 2021 |website=[[TechCrunch]]}}</ref> In 2021, the company was renamed "[[Meta Platforms]]" and its chairman [[Mark Zuckerberg]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Roose|first=Kevin|date=October 29, 2021|title=The Metaverse Is Mark Zuckerberg's Escape Hatch|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/technology/meta-facebook-zuckerberg.html|access-date=October 30, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=October 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030001124/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/technology/meta-facebook-zuckerberg.html|url-status=live}} {{subscription required}}</ref> declared a company commitment to developing a metaverse.<ref name="guard">{{Cite news |last=Milmo |first=Dan |date=October 28, 2021 |title=Enter the metaverse: the digital future Mark Zuckerberg is steering us toward |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/28/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-meta-metaverse |access-date=December 13, 2021}}</ref> Many of the virtual reality technologies advertised by Meta Platforms remain to be developed.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Griffin|first1=Andrew|date=October 28, 2021|title=Facebook changes name to 'Meta' as it focuses on metaverse and tries to move on from controversies|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/facebook-meta-name-new-metaverse-b1947245.html|access-date=October 28, 2021|website=The Independent|location=London|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028183501/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/facebook-meta-name-new-metaverse-b1947245.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Daniel |date=October 28, 2021 |title=Facebook changes its name to Meta in major rebrand |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59083601 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028183649/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59083601 |archive-date=October 28, 2021 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Paul|first1=Kari|date=October 28, 2021|title=Facebook announces name change to Meta in rebranding effort|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/28/facebook-name-change-rebrand-meta|access-date=October 28, 2021|website=The Guardian|location=London|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028183343/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/28/facebook-name-change-rebrand-meta|url-status=live}}</ref> Facebook whistleblower [[Frances Haugen]] criticised the move, adding that Meta Platforms' continued focus on growth-oriented projects is largely done to the detriment of ensuring safety on their platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Isobel Asher |date=October 26, 2021 |title=Whistleblower Frances Haugen says Facebook's investment in the 'metaverse' shows how its priorities are all wrong |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-metaverse-frances-haugen-whistleblower-shocked-by-investment-2021-10 |access-date=December 30, 2021 |website=Business Insider}}</ref> Meta Platforms has also faced user safety criticism regarding ''Horizon Worlds'' due to [[sexual harassment]] occurring on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Stephen |date=December 17, 2021 |title=Meta launched an investigation after a woman said she was groped by a stranger in the metaverse |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-investigated-woman-claims-she-was-groped-in-metas-metaverse-2021-12 |access-date=December 30, 2021 |website=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahdawi |first=Arwa |date=December 18, 2021 |title=Metaverse is just a new venue for the age-old problem of sexual harassment |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/18/metaverse-new-venue-sexual-harassment-facebook |access-date=December 30, 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sundaravelu |first=Anugraha |date=May 31, 2022 |title=Woman's avatar raped within an hour of signing into the metaverse |url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/05/31/another-womans-avatar-has-been-sexually-assaulted-in-the-metaverse-16737575/ |access-date=June 1, 2022 |website=Metro}}</ref> In 2021, Meta made a loss of over $10&nbsp;billion on its metaverse development department, with Mark Zuckerberg saying he expected operating losses to "increase meaningfully" in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kovach |first=Steve |date=February 2, 2022 |title=Mark Zuckerberg's 'metaverse' business lost more than $10 billion last year, and the losses keep growing |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/02/meta-reality-labs-reports-10-billion-loss.html |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> In February 2023, Zuckerberg wrote a Facebook post announcing the company's pivot away from the metaverse to focus on [[AI]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-07 |title=Meta's "year of efficiency" means job cuts, less metaverse, and more generative AI |url=https://qz.com/meta-layoffs-2023-jobs-metaverse-ai-1850196575 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Quartz |language=en}}</ref> 

Some metaverse implementations rely on digital currencies, and often [[cryptocurrency]]. Assets within the metaverse are sometimes traded as [[non-fungible token]]s (NFTs) and track ownership using [[blockchain]] technology.<ref>{{cite web |last=Page |first=Thomas |date=September 23, 2022 |title=Pixel pushers: How the metaverse became real estate's new frontier |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/metaverse-real-estate-market-2022-spc-intl/index.html |accessdate=October 2, 2022 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

Proposed applications for metaverse technology include improving work productivity,<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":42">{{Cite web|first=Veronica|last=Combs|date=October 29, 2021|title=The metaverse: What is it?|url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/metaverse-what-is-it/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=TechRepublic|archive-date=October 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031202202/https://www.techrepublic.com/article/metaverse-what-is-it/|url-status=live}}</ref> interactive learning environments,<ref name=":22" /> [[e-commerce]],<ref name=":22" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 30, 2022 |title=Despite metaverse buzz, 60% of consumers have zero interest in virtual shopping |url=https://venturebeat.com/2022/05/30/despite-metaverse-buzz-60-of-consumers-have-zero-interest-in-virtual-shopping/ |access-date=June 1, 2022 |website=VentureBeat}}</ref> mass-audience interaction,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=November 3, 2022 |title=Why Improbable's Herman Narula believes virtual society will foster transhumanism |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/why-improbables-herman-narula-believes-virtual-society-will-lead-us-to-transhumanism/ |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=VentureBeat |quote=The sleeping giants of the metaverse are massive communities – celebrities are a great example – who don't monetize those communities very well. They can't engage with them very easily. They want a new way of doing that. That is who the metaverse is going to unlock value for.}}</ref> healthcare<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Curtis |first1=Caitlin |last2=Brolan |first2=Claire |date=November 27, 2022 |title=Health care in the metaverse |journal=Medical Journal of Australia |volume=218 |issue=1 |page=46 |doi=10.5694/mja2.51793|pmid=36437589 |s2cid=254042167 |doi-access=free |pmc=10952226 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |last2=Badal |last3=Jia |last4=Maltz |last5=Mueller |last6=Myers |last7=Niu |last8=Vannier |last9=Yan |last10=Yu |last11=Zeng |date=Nov 25, 2022 |title=Development of metaverse for intelligent healthcare |journal=Nature Machine Intelligence |volume=4 |issue=11 |pages=922–929 |doi=10.1038/s42256-022-00549-6|pmid=36935774 |pmc=10015955 |s2cid=253564988 }}</ref> and real estate.<ref name=":22" />

== Technology ==

=== Hardware ===
Access points for the metaverse includes general-purpose computers and smartphones, [[augmented reality]], [[mixed reality]], and [[virtual reality]].<ref name=":10" />

Dependence on VR technology has limited metaverse development and wide-scale adoption.<ref name=":32" /> Limitations of portable hardware and the need to balance cost and design have caused a lack of high-quality graphics and mobility.<ref name=":4" /> Lightweight wireless headsets have struggled to achieve [[retina display]] pixel density needed for visual immersion.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last1=Wood |first1=Rhys |date=October 14, 2021 |title=This Oculus VR headset could feature lifelike resolution – here's why that matters |url=https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/this-oculus-vr-headset-could-feature-lifelike-resolution-heres-why-that-matters |access-date=January 9, 2022 |website=TechRadar}}</ref> Another issue for wide-scale adoption of the technology is cost, with consumer VR headsets [[Comparison of virtual reality headsets|ranging in price]] from $300 to $3500 as of 2022.<ref name=":82" /><ref name=":1" />

Current hardware development is focused on overcoming limitations of [[VR headset]]s, glasses, sensors, and increasing immersion with [[haptic technology]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Lewis|first1=Leo|last2=Davies|first2=Christian|last3=Jung-a|first3=Song|date=January 5, 2022|title=Investors gear up for 'gold rush' in metaverse hardware|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/182bb2a7-b4e4-4d0d-8178-4cd9b4c225c4|access-date=January 8, 2022}}</ref>

=== Software ===
There has been no wide-scale adoption of a standardized technical specification for metaverse implementations, and existing implementations rely primarily on proprietary technology. [[Interoperability]] is a major concern in metaverse development, stemming from concerns about transparency and privacy.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=D'Anastasio |first=Cecilia |date=November 4, 2021 |title=The Metaverse Is Simply Big Tech, but Bigger |url=https://www.wired.com/story/big-tech-metaverse-internet-consolidation-business/ |magazine=Wired |issn=1059-1028 |access-date=January 8, 2022}}</ref> There have been several virtual environment standardization projects.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Metaverse Roadmap|url=http://metaverseroadmap.org/|access-date=October 8, 2011|publisher=Acceleration Studies Foundation|archive-date=May 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517174255/http://metaverseroadmap.org/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=X3D Specification, ISO/IEC 19775-1:2004 -- Part 1: Architecture and base components|url=https://www.web3d.org/documents/specifications/19775-1/V3.0/Part01/Architecture.html|access-date=November 3, 2021|website=www.web3d.org|archive-date=November 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111080617/https://www.web3d.org/documents/specifications/19775-1/V3.0/Part01/Architecture.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Virtual World Region Agent Protocol (VWRAP)|url=http://tools.ietf.org/wg/vwrap/|access-date=October 8, 2011|publisher=[[IETF]]|archive-date=August 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811063020/http://tools.ietf.org/wg/vwrap/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Immersive Education Technology Group (IETG)|url=http://mediagrid.org/groups/technology/grid.ied/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908045542/http://mediagrid.org/groups/technology/grid.ied/|archive-date=September 8, 2011|access-date=October 8, 2011|publisher=Media Grid}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Immersive Web Working Group |url=https://www.w3.org/groups/wg/immersive-web |access-date=March 1, 2022 |website=www.w3.org}}</ref>

[[Universal Scene Description]] is a specification for [[3D computer graphics]] interchange created by [[Pixar]] and supported by [[Blender (software)|Blender]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[SceneKit]] and [[Autodesk 3ds Max]]. The technology company [[NVIDIA]] announced in 2021 they would adopt USD for their metaverse development tools.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caulfield |first=Brian |date=April 27, 2021 |title=Universal Scene Description Key to Shared Metaverse, GTC Panelists Say |url=https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2021/04/27/usd-metaverse-gtc/ |access-date=December 24, 2021 |website=The Official NVIDIA Blog}}</ref>

[[glTF]] is a specification for the efficient transmission and loading of 3D scenes and models by engines and applications created by the [[Khronos Group]], an industry consortium developing royalty free open standards. In August 2022 it was announced that glTF 2.0 had been released as the [[ISO]]/[[International Electrotechnical Commission|IEC]] 12113:2022 International Standard.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 26, 2022|title=ISO/IEC 12113:2022 Information technology — Runtime 3D asset delivery format — Khronos glTF 2.0|url=https://www.iso.org/standard/83990.html|website=The Official ISO Website}}</ref>

[[OpenXR]] is an open standard for access to virtual and augmented reality devices and experiences. It has been adopted by [[Microsoft]] for [[HoloLens 2]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edicott |first=Sean |date=July 23, 2019 |title=OpenXR now available on the Microsoft Store for Windows Mixed Reality |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/openxr-now-available-microsoft-store-windows-mixed-reality |access-date=January 8, 2022 |website=Windows Central}}</ref> [[Meta Platforms]] for the [[Oculus Quest]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heaney |first=David |date=September 13, 2019 |title=Oculus Rift Has Hidden Preliminary Support For OpenXR |url=https://uploadvr.com/oculus-rift-basic-openxr-support/ |access-date=January 8, 2022 |website=UploadVR}}</ref> [[HTC]] for the [[HTC Vive]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heaney |first=David |date=April 14, 2022 |title=HTC's Vive Focus 3 Standalone Headset Gets Beta OpenXR Support |url=https://uploadvr.com/vive-focus-3-openxr-beta/ |website=UploadVR}}</ref> [[Qualcomm]] for the Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sprigg |first=Sam |date=June 1, 2021 |title=Qualcomm announces global availability of its Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform |url=https://www.auganix.org/qualcomm-announces-global-availability-of-its-snapdragon-spaces-xr-developer-platform/ |website=Auganix}}</ref> and [[Valve Corporation|Valve]] for [[SteamVR]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 18, 2022 |title=Conformant Products |url=https://www.khronos.org/conformance/adopters/conformant-products/openxr |publisher=[[Khronos Group]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=February 24, 2021|title=Steam :: SteamVR :: Introducing SteamVR 1.16|url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/250820/view/3044967019267211914|access-date=January 8, 2022|website=store.steampowered.com}}</ref>

== Criticism and concerns ==

=== Feasibility ===
In a February 2022 article for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Lauren Jackson argued that the metaverse is "stalled from achieving scale by a lack of infrastructure for both hardware and software, a monopolistic approach to platform development, and a lack of clear governance standards."<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Lauren |date=February 12, 2022 |title=Is the Metaverse Just Marketing? |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/podcasts/metaverse-marketing.html |access-date=February 17, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In December 2021, [[Raja Koduri]], senior vice president of Intel, claimed that "Truly persistent and immersive computing, at scale and accessible by billions of humans in real time, will require even more: a 1,000-times increase in computational efficiency from today's state of the art."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koduri |first=Raja |author-link=Raja Koduri |date=December 14, 2021 |title=Powering the Metaverse |url=https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/opinion/powering-metaverse.html |access-date=February 22, 2022 |website=Intel}}</ref>

In an article for ''The New York Times'' on October 26, 2022, [[Ryan Mac]], a technology reporter, claimed that for the past year, Mark Zuckerberg has struggled to find the best way to achieve the metaverse. He has yet to succeed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mac |first=Ryan |date=October 26, 2022 |title=Meta's Profit Slides by More Than 50 Percent as Challenges Mount |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/technology/meta-facebook-q3-earnings.html |access-date=November 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

=== Privacy ===
[[Information privacy]] is an area of concern for the metaverse because related companies will likely collect users' personal information through interactions and [[biometric]] data from wearable virtual and augmented reality devices.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Lik-Hang |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355172308 |title=All One Needs to Know about Metaverse: A Complete Survey on Technological Singularity, Virtual Ecosystem, and Research Agenda |last2=Braud |first2=Tristan |last3=Zhou |first3=Pengyuan |last4=Wang |first4=Lin |last5=Xu |first5=Dianlei |last6=Lin |first6=Zijun |last7=Kumar |first7=Abhishek |last8=Bermejo |first8=Carlos |last9=Hui |first9=Pan |date=October 11, 2021 |doi=10.13140/RG.2.2.11200.05124/8 |doi-access=free |arxiv=2110.05352}}</ref> Meta Platforms (previously Facebook) is planning on employing targeted advertising within their metaverse, raising further worries related to the spread of misinformation and loss of personal privacy.<ref name="O'Brian-Chan"/> In 2021, David Reid of [[Liverpool Hope University]] argued the amount of data collection in the metaverse would be greater than that on the internet stating "If you think about the amount of data a company could collect on the [[World Wide Web]] right now, compared to what it could collect with the metaverse, there is just no comparison."<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 11, 2021 |title=Who is Going to Police the 'Metaverse'? |url=https://www.hope.ac.uk/news/allnews/who-is-going-to-police-the-metaverse.html |access-date=January 19, 2022 |website=www.hope.ac.uk}}</ref> In fact, the current metaverse technology is very immature. Abdulsattar Jaber, a professor at Iraq's [[Middle Technical University]], found that the new technology used by the metaverse may cause many problems related to the security and privacy of system users.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Abdulsattar Jaber |first=Tanya |date=July 11, 2022 |title=Security Risks of the Metaverse World |url=https://online-journals.org/index.php/i-jim/article/view/33187 |journal=International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies |volume=16 |issue=13 |pages=4–14 |doi=10.3991/ijim.v16i13.33187 |s2cid=250467972 |issn=1865-7923|doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== User safety ===
User addiction and [[problematic social media use]] is another concern. [[Internet addiction disorder]], social media, and [[video game addiction]] can have mental and physical repercussions over a prolonged period of time, such as depression,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huddleston |first=Tom |date=January 31, 2022 |title='This is creating more loneliness': The metaverse could be a serious problem for kids, experts say |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/31/psychologists-metaverse-could-be-a-problem-for-kids-mental-health.html |access-date=February 2, 2022 |website=CNBC}}</ref> anxiety, and various other harms related to having a [[sedentary lifestyle]] such as an increased risk for [[obesity]] and [[cardiovascular disease]].<ref name=":102" /> Experts are also concerned that the metaverse could be used as an 'escape' from reality in a similar fashion to existing internet technologies.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Woody |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tpRlAgAAQBAJ&dq=woody%20evans&pg=PA95 |title=Information Dynamics in Virtual Worlds |date=2011 |publisher=Chandos |isbn=9781780632742 |access-date=November 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207063211/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Information_Dynamics_in_Virtual_Worlds/tpRlAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=woody+evans&pg=PA95&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Virtual crime|Virtual crimes]]  like [[sex abuse]], [[child grooming]], and harassment are significant challenges within existing virtual reality social platforms, and may be similarly prevalent in the metaverse.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Basu |first=Tanya |date=December 16, 2021 |title=The metaverse has a groping problem already |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/16/1042516/the-metaverse-has-a-groping-problem/ |access-date=January 19, 2022 |website=[[MIT Technology Review]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Chalmers |first=David |date=January 28, 2022 |title=What Should Be Considered a Crime in the Metaverse? |url=https://www.wired.com/story/crime-metaverse-virtual-reality/ |magazine=Wired |issn=1059-1028 |access-date=January 28, 2022}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Baker-White |first=Emily |date=February 11, 2022 |title=Meta Wouldn't Tell Us How It Enforces Its Rules In VR, So We Ran A Test To Find Out |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emilybakerwhite/meta-facebook-horizon-vr-content-rules-test |access-date=March 6, 2022 |website=[[BuzzFeed News]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Oremus |first=Will |date=February 7, 2022 |title=Kids are flocking to Facebook's 'metaverse.' Experts worry predators will follow. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/07/facebook-metaverse-horizon-worlds-kids-safety/ |access-date=February 18, 2022}}</ref> In February 2022, investigations by BBC News and ''The Washington Post'' found minors engaging in adult activities in applications such as [[VRChat]] and [[Horizon Worlds]] despite an age requirement of 13 years or older.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last1=Crawford |first1=Angus |last2=Smith |first2=Tony |date=February 23, 2022 |title=Metaverse app allows kids into virtual strip clubs |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60415317 |access-date=March 6, 2022}}</ref>

In an October 2022 interview, Roblox Chief Scientist Morgan McGuire stated that it is "a challenge to moderate 3D", and also compared moderating [[Roblox]] to shutting down [[Speakeasy|speakeasies]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Chmielewski |first1=Dawn |last2=Dastin |first2=Jeffrey |date=October 11, 2022 |title=Roblox says policing virtual world is like 'shutting down speakeasies' |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/reuters-momentum-roblox-says-policing-virtual-world-is-like-shutting-down-2022-10-11/ |access-date=October 12, 2022}}</ref>

=== Regulation ===
With the emergence of the metaverse, many<ref name=":9" /> are calling for new regulations to protect users when they interact in the virtual world and to ensure that [[intellectual property]] (IP) laws are extended to both physical and virtual objects, respecting the rights of inventors, designers, and owners of [[trademark]]s, just as they would in the real world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2022 |title=The metaverse, NFTs and IP rights: to regulate or not to regulate? |url=https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2022/02/article_0002.html |website=WIPO Magazine}}</ref>

=== Social issues ===
Metaverse development may magnify the social impacts of online [[Echo chamber (media)|echo chambers]] and digitally alienating spaces<ref name=":032" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine |last=Shou |first=Darren |title=I Want My Daughter to Live in a Better Metaverse |url=https://www.wired.com/story/i-want-my-daughter-to-live-in-a-better-metaverse/ |url-status=live |magazine=Wired |issn=1059-1028 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910165607/https://www.wired.com/story/i-want-my-daughter-to-live-in-a-better-metaverse/ |archive-date=September 10, 2021 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> or abuse common social media engagement strategies to manipulate users with biased content.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Peck |first=Andrew |date=2020 |title=A Problem of Amplification: Folklore and Fake News in the Age of Social Media |journal=Journal of American Folklore |volume=133 |issue=529 |pages=329–351 |doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.133.529.0329 |issn=1535-1882 |s2cid=243130538}}</ref> Keza MacDonald of ''[[The Guardian]]'' criticized the utopianism of technology companies who claim that a metaverse could be a reprieve from worker exploitation, [[prejudice]], and [[discrimination]]. MacDonald stated that they would be more positive towards metaverse development if it was not dominated by "companies and disaster capitalists trying to figure out a way to make more money as the real world's resources are dwindling."<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacDonald |first=Keza |date=January 25, 2022 |title=I've seen the metaverse – and I don't want it |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jan/25/ive-seen-the-metaverse-and-i-dont-want-it |access-date=January 27, 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Marketing professor [[Andreas Kaplan]], citing their experience studying ''[[Second Life]]'' users, argues that the metaverse may have a generally negative societal impact due to their strongly addictive potential.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kaplan|first=Andreas|date=November 2, 2021|title=Facebook's Metaverse: A nightmare turning into reality?|url=https://thechoice.escp.eu/tl-dr/facebooks-metaverse-a-nightmare-turning-into-reality/|access-date=March 10, 2022|website=ESCP}}</ref> People with physical disabilities like [[deafness]] or [[blindness]] are disadvantaged without technologies addressed to [[Assistive technology|accessibility]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Allam |first1=Zaheer |last2=Sharifi |first2=Ayyoob |last3=Bibri |first3=Simon Elias |last4=Jones |first4=David Sydney |last5=Krogstie |first5=John |date=July 8, 2022 |title=The Metaverse as a Virtual Form of Smart Cities: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability in Urban Futures |journal=Smart Cities |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=771–801 |doi=10.3390/smartcities5030040 |issn=2624-6511 |doi-access=free|hdl=11250/3051264 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

=== Lack of adoption ===
{{As of|2023}}, there has been little adoption of Metaverse technology, with Decentraland, a platform claiming to be the metaverse, reporting that it had 8,000 daily users or fewer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawler |first=Richard |date=2022-10-13 |title=Decentraland's billion-dollar "metaverse" reportedly had 38 active users in one day |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/13/23402418/decentraland-metaverse-empty-38-users-dappradar-wallet-data |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Ed Zitron]] in ''[[Business Insider]]'' and Marc Olinga in ''The Street'' declared the Metaverse a fad that was "dead", having been displaced by [[artificial intelligence]] as the current hot new trend in computing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zitron |first=Ed |author-link=Ed Zitron |title=RIP Metaverse, we hardly knew ye |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/metaverse-dead-obituary-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-tech-fad-ai-chatgpt-2023-5 |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Olinga |first=Marc |date=18 March 2023 |title=Mark Zuckerberg Quietly Buries the Metaverse |url=https://www.thestreet.com/technology/mark-zuckerberg-quietly-buries-the-metaverse |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=The Street}}</ref>

==Fiction==

=== ''Snow Crash'', 1992 ===
{{quote box|So Hiro's not actually here at all. He's in a computer-generated universe that his computer is drawing onto his goggles and pumping into his earphones. In the lingo, this imaginary place is known as the Metaverse. Hiro spends a lot of time in the Metaverse. It beats the shit out of the U-Stor-It.
| author = [[Neal Stephenson]]
| source = ''[[Snow Crash]]'' (1992).<ref name="Snow Crash">{{cite book |title=Snow Crash |first=Neal |last=Stephenson |author-link=Neal Stephenson |date=1992 |isbn=9780553351927 |publisher=Bantam Books |page=22}}</ref>
| align = right
| width = 20%
}}

The term ''metaverse'' was coined by [[Neal Stephenson]] in his 1992 [[science fiction]] novel ''[[Snow Crash]]'', where humans, represented by computer-generated [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]], interact with each other and [[software agent]]s, in a [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] virtual space that uses the metaphor of the real world.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Grimshaw|first=Mark|title=The Oxford Handbook of Virtuality|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2014|isbn=9780199826162|location=New York|page=702}}</ref> Stephenson used the term to describe a [[virtual reality|virtual-reality]]-based successor to the [[internet]].<ref>In the acknowledgments section following the text of ''Snow Crash'', Stephenson writes: ''The words "avatar" (in the sense it is used here) and "Metaverse" are my inventions, which I came up with when I decided that existing words (such as "virtual reality") were simply too awkward to use.''</ref>

Neal Stephenson's metaverse appears to its users as an [[Urban area|urban]] environment developed along a 100-meter-wide road, called the Street, which spans the entire [[1 E7 m|65,536&nbsp;km]] (2<sup>16</sup> km) circumference of a featureless, black, perfectly spherical planet. The virtual [[real estate]] is owned by the Global Multimedia Protocol Group, a fictional part of the real [[Association for Computing Machinery]], and is available to be bought and buildings developed thereupon.<ref name=":13">{{Cite book|last=Neal.|first=Stephenson|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/799825166|title=Snow crash|date=2007|publisher=Rizzoli|isbn=978-88-17-01682-7|oclc=799825166}}</ref>

Users of the metaverse access it through personal terminals that project a high-quality virtual reality display onto goggles worn by the user, or from grainy [[black and white]] public terminals in booths. The users experience it from a [[First person (video games)|first-person perspective]]. Stephenson describes a [[sub-culture]] of people choosing to remain continuously connected to the metaverse; they are given the sobriquet "[[gargoyle (monster)|gargoyle]]s" due to their grotesque appearance.<ref name=":13" />

Within the metaverse, individual users appear as avatars of any form, with the sole restriction of height, "to prevent people from walking around a mile high". Transport within the metaverse is limited to analogs of reality by foot or vehicle, such as the [[monorail]] that runs the entire length of the Street, stopping at 256 ''Express Ports'', located evenly at 256&nbsp;km intervals, and ''Local Ports'', one kilometer apart.<ref name=":13" />

=== ''Ready Player One'', 2011 ===
''[[Ready Player One]]'' is a [[dystopia]]n science fiction franchise created by [[Ernest Cline]] which depicts a shared VR landscape called "The OASIS". The first novel was released in 2011, with a 2018 [[Ready Player One (film)|film adaptation]], and [[Ready Player Two|second novel]] in 2020. The franchise depicts the year 2045 as being gripped by an energy crisis and global warming, causing widespread social problems and economic stagnation. The primary escape for people is a shared VR landscape called "the OASIS" which is accessed with a VR headset and [[wired glove]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=Constance |date=March 26, 2018 |title=The Ready Player One backlash, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/26/17148350/ready-player-one-book-backlash-controversy-gamergate-explained |access-date=January 4, 2022 |website=Vox}}</ref> The OASIS functions both as a [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]] and as a virtual society.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 24, 2021 |title=Books about metaverse to binge read over Christmas holidays |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/technology/books-about-metaverse-to-binge-over-christmas-holidays-11928062.htm |access-date=February 19, 2022 |website=cnbctv18.com}}</ref>

==See also==
{{wiktionary}}
* [[Closed platform]]
* [[Cyberspace]]
* [[Multiverse (video games)]]
* [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]
* [[Nvidia Omniverse]]
* [[Spatial computing]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==

* {{Cite report |url=https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R47224.pdf |title=The Metaverse: Concepts and Issues for Congress |date=August 26, 2022 |publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]]}}
{{Mixed reality}}
{{Meta-prefix}}

[[Category:Metaverse| ]]
[[Category:Science fiction themes]]
[[Category:Fiction about virtual reality]]
[[Category:1992 neologisms]]
[[Category:Futurism]]