I am both a technical journalist and a technology enthusiast. You’d think this would give me a better understanding of what the metaverse represents. But as things stand, I don’t understand the tech industry’s desire to turn the metaverse into something. We get sold this noble idea of a shared virtual reality without anyone knowing what it is. I would even argue that the companies promoting the metaverse are just as ignorant.
A few weeks ago I attended a press event for the recently announced Meta Quest Pro. The primary focus of this $1,499 product is to enable professionals to work and meet in virtual environments. This new VR headset is an objective improvement over Meta Quest 2 due to its improved tracking capabilities, which can better capture facial and hand movements. Everything is very impressive.
But despite the advances I’ve witnessed in virtual reality, I’m still not convinced that this whole metaverse business will ever come to fruition—at least not as Meta and other companies think. Maybe one day something will revolutionize this field and make it fun to work and collaborate in virtual reality. However, I don’t think Metaverse will ever be a viable platform for most people.
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Humans are social creatures by nature. Evolution has made us want to interact with others, even if we are miles apart. Before the digital age, we had, among other things, mail, radio and telephones to stay connected. Today we have the internet and various wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. But while these technologies serve their ultimate purpose, they don’t feel as personal as physically being in a room with another human being. Metaverse is just the latest iteration of these technologies.
Maybe I’m being too reductive here, but Metaverse seems like a more advanced version of Second Life or PlayStation Home. Like Metaverse, these platforms provided virtual worlds where users could congregate. Maybe that’s why I shrug every time I hear about Metaverse. To make a sentence, I have heard this song before. Second Life still exists (sort of), but PlayStation Home has been dead for more than a decade. I can’t help but think that Metaverse will follow this trajectory as well.
The reason I feel this way is that virtual worlds can often feel cold and sterile. Sure, running around a fake mall or forest with others can be fun. Gathering in a game hub is also more interesting than sitting in an online lobby where all you see are usernames. But when the novelty of VR wears off, you realize you’d rather be sitting next to another person, whether it’s in an office meeting or on a couch playing a game.
But that’s not to say that the Metaverse is completely impersonal. During a Meta Quest Pro demo, I sat in a virtual office meeting room with the avatar of a PR representative. Because of the way Quest Pro captures body language and facial expressions, it almost felt like I was talking to a real person. In fact, as the PR representative was practically sitting next to me, I felt the same uneasiness I do when someone I don’t know walks into my personal space. It shows how far VR technology has come.
Advances aside, however, VR interactions just aren’t as satisfying as the real thing. Barring some miracle technological revolution, I don’t see how virtual reality can ever replicate a real-world experience. Also, I’d rather video call someone than pay nearly two thousand dollars to talk to them through a headset. Video calls aren’t perfect (hence Meta’s desire to create better conferencing experiences), but at least I’m looking at a real person.
Meta-teased instant avatars, which are avatars you create by using your phone to scan your face. These are much more realistic than the Sims-esque avatars that Meta currently has. Maybe it will be better to talk to an avatar that looks like a real person, but I remain skeptical.
I plan to talk about this at length in an upcoming op-ed, but as a wheelchair user I wanted to briefly discuss accessibility in Metaverse based on my experience with Meta Quest Pro and older VR headsets. .
To Meta’s credit, the Meta Quest Pro is the most accessible VR headset I’ve used. It is infinitely superior to the Oculus Rift and the original PlayStation VR. Not only is this headset completely wireless, but thanks to its open-periphery design, I can see my surroundings and better avoid obstacles. These features benefit regular users, but they are a game-changer for people like me.
While the Meta Quest Pro is more accessible than previous headsets, it’s still not great. For example, it wasn’t easy to hold the Quest Pro controllers and run through the environment at the same time. Painting on a digital canvas in a demo was also a bit boring because I’m sitting down. But given that there were demos that tracked my hand movements without the need for controllers, I’m sure Meta can find a controller-less solution that will make it easier for wheelchair users to move around in VR.
Meta showed wheelchair options for avatars. In terms of representation, I think it’s a good option for those who want to enjoy it. And if we are meant to inhabit digital worlds, I prefer to do so in a form that best represents me. I don’t know if this feature will work well, but I’m glad it exists.
I realize that I am somewhat ambivalent about this section. Defining accessibility is difficult, but add an ill-defined virtual platform and things get even more confusing. But as I said, the metaverse has the potential for a greater degree of accessibility because it lacks physical barriers. I hope companies keep accessibility in mind as they try to develop their respective metaverses.
Outlook
I consider myself a techno-optimist and truly believe that technology allows us to reach our full potential as a species. I can see how fusion engines, artificial intelligence, quantum computers and even spaceships could help and strengthen the human race. I can’t say the same for the metaverse though.
At best, the metaverse seems to offer a more interesting way to interact with other people. At worst, they are just buzzwords and empty concepts that companies inexplicably invest millions of dollars into.
I might be too myopic, even cynical about the metaverse. But we’ve been down this road before with platforms like Second Life and PlayStation Home. Because of that, I can’t help but see this whole endeavor as a waste of time and money. However, I will rightfully say that I was wrong if and when someone convinces me that Metaverse is worth it. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon or ever.