Before presenting my thoughts, I would like to emphasize that I am by no means an opponent of XR technologies. On the contrary, my agency Design4real has been dedicated exclusively to the development and application of virtual and Augmented Reality. Despite my professional grounding in this field, however, I view the current debate about ‚the metaverse‘ with a certain skepticism, as it is often conducted without the necessary depth and reflection.
The metaverse faces several significant challenges that have hindered its widespread adoption and success. One of the primary issues is the lack of a coherent and standardized Definition of the Metaverse. While various platforms and projects claim to represent the metaverse, there is no single, universally accepted definition, leading to confusion and fragmentation.
Hype vs. Reality
In numerous discussions, the Metaverse was often portrayed as if it were already an established reality. This gave outsiders the impression that it was a fully developed technology, which is not the case. Myths were often propagated in the media suggesting that one could already achieve significant profits in the Metaverse, especially if one invested early. There were spectacular reports about individuals who had amassed yachts, Ferraris, and luxury villas in the Metaverse for millions of dollars without ever being clear about the actual benefits these virtual luxuries offered. The fuss about virtual real estate, NFTs and their connection to blockchain and cryptocurrencies have been widely instrumentalized to attract funds from financially powerful investors. As an expert in the scene, one could recognize hidden pyramid schemes behind many of these so-called „Metaverse Business Ideas“. This empty hype has ultimately harmed the underlying idea of a Metaverse more than it has benefited it.Zuckerberg's Meta is not the metaverse
The figure who significantly shaped the hype surrounding the metaverse and originally ignited the discussion about it is undoubtedly Mark Zuckerberg. It was only when Zuckerberg publicly announced that Facebook would place a strong focus on developing the metaverse in the future, even changing the social media giant's name to Meta in the process, that the term „metaverse“ became known to a wider public.
Zuckerberg's vision of a metaverse focused on social VR applications is undoubtedly captivating and holds the potential to fundamentally transform how we interact and communicate. However, for industry insiders, the idea of collaborating and conducting meetings in VR was by no means new. Long before Zuckerberg's announcement, applications like VRChat and Engage VR already existed, having long explored and implemented this aspect of virtual reality. Those who have been following this Social VR Applications had already tested them themselves, so they knew their strengths and weaknesses.
Zuckerberg's Ambitious Promises
Meta may be producing leading VR hardware. Nevertheless, the promise of completely replacing online meetings like Zoom with VR appears somewhat optimistic, as the technology is still in its infancy.
Not inclusive:
Some people quickly feel dizzy or nauseous when using VR applications. The reasons for this vary from person to person. Individuals with certain vision impairments find the three-dimensional sight through VR glasses uncomfortable, while others develop fear in the virtual world. Although these people are the exception, they cannot simply be ignored in VR meetings.
VR for extended periods – discomfort for everyone
Even for people experienced with VR, spending several hours in virtual reality leads to dizziness and general discomfort, comparable to a hangover. This could be due to the ergonomics of VR headsets. Although the hardware can certainly be improved, at the current state of technology, it is not reasonable to spend hours in a VR headset.
Long online meetings in VR are therefore not currently feasible, a fact that is often ignored in discussions.
What became of Meta Horizon and Meta Horizon Workrooms?
Meta promised a metaverse for work and leisure, but has so far failed to deliver in this area. Horizons is still unavailable in Germany, and Meta Horizon Workrooms has not established itself in the business sector. Horizon Worlds, Zuckerberg's metaverse solution, lagged far behind expectations graphically.
There was a lot of mockery about the simplistic graphics and legless avatars. The applications for the office in the metaverse also failed to find a broad audience.
Considering the success of Zuckerberg's metaverse version to date, it must be stated that Meta has not yet achieved its ambitious goals. This is hardly surprising given the challenges that VR technology currently presents. Zuckerberg boldly bet on a young technology and focused his concept closely on the area of Social VR, an application area that doesn't appeal to everyone. However, it is important to recognize and explore the broader spectrum of XR technologies in order to unlock the full potential of these revolutionary technologies.
It should also be mentioned that Apple's strategy for promoting the Apple Vision Pro VR headset has been significantly more conservative.
Apple's VR Approach: Spatial Computing and Avoiding Metaverse Daydreams
Apple is deliberately using the term for VR Spatial Computing instead of the multifaceted metaverse concept. This strategy reflects a pragmatic approach with a focus on achievable goals instead of pursuing perhaps too ambitious a metaverse dream.
Advantages of focusing on Spatial Computing
- Emphasis on Practical ApplicationsApple's focus is on meaningfully integrating VR technologies into everyday life. Spatial Computing links digital information with the physical world – a concrete and immediately usable VR component.
The problem of mass VR adoption
The hardware and software requirements for accessing the metaverse remain relatively high, limiting access for a large portion of the potential user base. Virtual reality (VR) headsets, often considered a prerequisite for an immersive metaverse experience, are still relatively expensive and niche products.
This lack of maturity has led to skepticism among many and doubts that the metaverse will ever live up to its ambitious potential.
Reasons for optimism and growth potential
Despite the challenges it faces, there are also several reasons to be optimistic about the future of the metaverse. The concept of an interconnected virtual world holds immense opportunities for various industries, including gaming, entertainment, education, and commerce.
The gaming industry has already made significant strides in developing virtual worlds that offer immersive and engaging experiences. Platforms like Fortnite and Roblox have millions of active users, demonstrating the metaverse's potential to capture the attention of a broad audience.
Furthermore, advancements in VR technology and the growing popularity of Augmented Reality (AR) are expected to make the metaverse more accessible and user-friendly in the coming years. As the technology matures and becomes more affordable, the metaverse could become a reality.
In the long term, the metaverse has the potential to revolutionize the way we work, learn, and connect. Virtual offices and classrooms could offer more flexible and collaborative environments, while virtual social gatherings could bridge geographical distances and foster new connections.
Conclusion
Whether the metaverse becomes a flop or not depends on several factors. These include further technological development, the creation of convincing use cases that solve real problems, and the ability to address concerns about data privacy, security, and accessibility.
To realize its full potential, the metaverse will require collaboration among various stakeholders to develop standards, including tech companies like Meta and Apple, content creators, lawmakers, and users.
Through collaboration, they can create an open, inclusive, and accessible metaverse that benefits everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Above all, the promise made in 2021 has failed: a unified virtual world used by everyone. The underlying technologies—VR, AR, real-time 3D, shared virtual spaces—are, by contrast, in use and growing, just in clearly defined applications rather than one grand world.
Because there was never a uniform definition and the term was used for very different things. In addition, there were unfulfilled promises of returns on virtual land and tokens. When expectations shifted, the entire technology fell into disrepute—even where it works.
The platform fell short of expectations: criticism of simple graphics and avatars, low user numbers, and unavailability in Germany for a long time. Horizon Workrooms has also not established itself as the standard for meetings.
Because Apple deliberately avoids the hyped buzzword and instead emphasizes the concrete benefit: applications and content in the space around the user, anchored in the real environment. That is the more pragmatic and realistic positioning of the same technology.
The price, the wearing comfort, and the service life. Longer sessions lead to discomfort for many people, individuals with certain visual impairments cannot perceive 3D displays comfortably, and there is a lack of that one application that makes the purchase strictly worthwhile for private households.
For clearly defined professional applications: training and simulation, planning and design reviews, sales and showrooms, therapy and rehabilitation. There, the benefits are measurable. Fortnite and Roblox also show that large shared virtual worlds work – just without the metaverse label.
