Undoubtedly, the metaverse has kept the entire world on tenterhooks. With their far-reaching impact across different industries, big tech companies are taking aggressive efforts to be part of the Web 3.0 era. Let us know how Virtual Reality (VR) is going mainstream.
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Facebook (now Meta)
The popular social media company made a head turn by rebranding its name to Meta in October 2021. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO views the metaverse as the next frontier of the Internet. The social networking giant is also investing $150 million through Meta Immersive Learning to attract the next generation of creators.
It is opening stores in the USA to sell VR headsets. The key for Meta lies in boosting the usage of VR devices to the level of smartphones. Having committed a total investment of $10 billion, Meta’s ambitions are clear. It shipped 10 million VR headsets in 2021 and has set a timeframe of 5 to 10 years for the metaverse to become mainstream.
Project Cambria is also gaining more buzz with every passing day. The high-end virtual reality headset. Users can interact with digital objects that overlap with their real-life environment. It will utilize sensors to enable wearers to see the real world within their headsets. With plans to release Cambria in 2022, Meta is using the Presence Platform to facilitate developers building a Mixed Reality (MR) experience. It will be a perfect blend of the physical and virtual worlds.
Apple
The American tech major is always known for its state-of-the-art hardware. Currently, Apple will reveal more developments about its mixed reality headset at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2022. It has also come out with a trademark “RealityOS”.
The headset will try to incorporate real-world environments into a virtual space. Thus, users can play games, view content, and interact with their friends. The Mixed Reality (MR) headset will also contain around 14 external cameras for enabling features like gesture control and hand tracking. While Apple’s iPhone transformed the smartphone era, it aims to make a big impact on the future of wearables with its headsets. Users can showcase themselves in AI avatars, make facial expressions, and initiate mouth movements. The external sensors will depict the outside world to the viewers. On the other hand, the internal cameras in the headset will read the expressions of users and transfer the data to avatars.
Microsoft
The American tech corporation is focusing extensively on metaverse and gaming. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in January 2022 has made its intentions quite clear. Besides that, Microsoft Mesh is enabling virtual collaboration across numerous devices. People can join meetings from anywhere and share holographic experiences. Options like Together mode and Presenter mode will make remote meetings more immersive.
Mesh will serve as a gateway to the metaverse and anyone can access the digital world from any device. Users can utilize their avatars for joining meetings and collaborating on different projects. Organizations can also create immersive spaces with Mesh. Eventually, it will turn into a hub for people to communicate. This will increase the engagement amongst attendees. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will mimic the head and facial movements and offer a personalized experience.
Google Cloud struck a deal with Flow blockchain in September 2021 for hosting data. While Flow will aim at scalability and expansion, Google will utilize its robust infrastructure for hosting games, digital assets, and Decentralized Applications (DApps). The benefits include low latency, carbon neutrality, and military-grade security measures.
Google is pushing further into Augmented Reality (AR) after acquiring Raxium, a startup working on MicroLED technologies. This will help the search engine major to build Next-Generation headsets. It is also developing an operating system powered by Augmented Reality. Under Project Iris, users can see the real world via a video feed. Further, a combination of computer graphics and outward-facing cameras will offer an immersive experience. This indicates that Google is betting big on hardware devices.
Moreover, it has made rapid progress in Virtual Reality with Google Earth. Users can teleport across the globe by going for tours and expeditions. Besides that, Google Maps also added an “Immersive View” feature recently. Users can virtually explore their neighborhoods through aerial images. Advancements in computer vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will help travelers to plan their journey better before setting foot inside their destination.
Wish to harness the benefits of a virtual world? Become the talking point of the entire Web by heading over to the metaverse now.
