One of the biggest and most influential companies is working with one of the most innovative technologies. Facebook metaverse is one of the essential topics in the world right now. You’ll soon see how Facebook is building the metaverse. This will include recent innovations, plans for the future, and some of the most significant criticisms of Facebook’s approach.

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The Metaverse in Short

The metaverse is essentially telepresence within a virtual environment. This ultimately means that people can feel like they’re somewhere else by logging themselves into the metaverse. People tend to think of virtual reality headsets when talking about the metaverse. But even desktops, game consoles and smartphones can offer access to it.

The metaverse is still being built, developed and tested. Some development comes from companies like Facebook, creating implementations like a Facebook metaverse.

You can find more in-depth information on what the metaverse is and has to offer in the article “Metaverse Guide; Understanding These Basics Will Open Up a Whole New World”.

What is Facebook Metaverse?

Facebook metaverse presents a somewhat different take on the concept than most of the competitors. Mark Zuckerberg sees the metaverse as a successor to the mobile Internet. He believes that the metaverse will remove passivity from people’s online experience.

Zuckerberg essentially views the online experience of the future as one in which new technologies connect people.

The future of the Facebook metaverse is one where going online means entering a parallel reality. It’ll be a place where people can spend time at their workplace for a meeting while instantly transitioning to hiking trails or the slopes afterwards.

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The experience of those transitions won’t have any transit time or inconveniences associated with travel in the real world. Likewise, people can instantly connect with friends and family to let them share the experience. This concept of sharing virtual experiences with others sits at the heart of Facebook’s take on the concept.

Mark Zuckerberg isn’t simply focused on creating a new digital world. He’s also expanding Facebook’s emphasis on social interaction into that new dimension. This highlights that the Internet took off in popularity once people were connected mainly through their mobile devices.

Why is Facebook Entering The Metaverse?

It’s obvious that Facebook is putting a lot of work into the metaverse. But it’s important to keep in mind that all of this work is built through intent. The future of the Facebook metaverse is built on today’s decisions. So why exactly is Facebook so focused on the metaverse?

One of the biggest points is simply that Facebook has already built up a significant platform for the metaverse. The metaverse is in large part built on human connections. It’s essentially a virtual world made up of very real people who have digital avatars. Facebook as a platform already has real-world representation. The average person already has Facebook on their phone and a digital presence within that platform.
A huge user base on Facebook has essentially taken the first step into the metaverse simply by interacting with others on that platform.

What’s more, Facebook even has technologies that aren’t in use right now that would be perfect for the metaverse. Facial recognition is a good example. It’s no longer used on the main platform, but can be used in the metaverse.

Finally, Facebook benefits from already having a VR presence. Their oculus hardware is a perfect entry point for the metaverse.

Facebook’s Metaverse Vision in 11 Minutes

Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg Explains the Facebook Metaverse, plus new VR and AR technologies the company is developing.

Facebook Metaverse Examples

It’s essential to keep in mind that the metaverse is still being developed. It’s already become a thriving universe of wonders. But every new day brings new developments to that virtual space. Likewise, Facebook itself is in its early stages with the metaverse. But even early on in development, the Facebook metaverse has some fantastic examples of what people can look forward to. These are some of the most interesting and essential items that Facebook is currently working on.

Horizon Home & Horizon Worlds

Horizon home is one of the most important foundational elements of the Facebook metaverse. The system has been one of the first introductions to the metaverse for many new Oculus Quest headset owners. When people put the headset on, they’re presented with a home base of sorts. But this is gradually turning into a true virtual home.

Horizon Home began as a solitary and somewhat limited experience. But integration with Horizon Worlds turns home into a true virtual home away from home. The most important part of this is that users can invite other people into their homes.

Users will be able to invite their friends into Horizon Home and then use it as a launching point. From there they can explore all of the Horizon Worlds. Add in scripting from Horizon Worlds, and it’s clear to see how things are shaping up into a more interactive experience.

Video: Facebook Horizon Worlds

Horizon Works

Facebook is very interested in the business world. And they’re extending that interest into the metaverse too. Facebook metaverse currently has a system in development called Quest for Business. This system will be accessible through hardware that’s available right now – the Quest 2 headset.

Horizon Works can be seen as more of a methodology and collection of apps than a single program unto itself. You use a computer and an operating system to access office suites. And you’ll similarly use Horizon Works to access productivity-related systems within the Facebook metaverse.

Horizon works hold the potential to bring a new type of productivity into the workplace. Imagine quickly sketching notes for coworkers with little more than a thought. Or how much easier things could be if you had full IDP/ SSO integration, account management, and even third-party apps equally available at all times.

Video: Facebook Horizon Works

Horizon Venues

Works seek to change the nature of the workplace. And venues seek to change how people relate to entertainment venues. Imagine how amazing it would be if you always had the best seat in the house at concerts. What would it be like if you could always be sure your friends were by your side during those events?

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could still hang out in those venues, even with friends who’ve moved away? Venues seek to do all that and more. It brings entertainment venues into the Facebook metaverse. And it’s currently available in beta through Oculus Quest 2.

Video: Horizon Venues

Gaming

Gaming is one of the most popular uses for VR right now. And Facebook itself is no stranger to online games. It should come as no surprise that the Facebook metaverse has a lot of potential for gamers. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is coming to the platform. This open-world game will allow players to enjoy every aspect of Los Santos and nearby areas. Facebook has also partnered with Vertigo games for five new games. And their existing game, Beat Saber, recently passed the $100 million USD milestone. And, of course, all of this is only the beginning.

Video: Beat Saber | Announce Trailer | Oculus Quest

Fitness

It’s harder than ever for people to find time to work out at the gym. But what if the gym could come to you? That’s the promise of the Facebook metaverse. Facebook has created an Active Pack that makes it easy to work out while using VR equipment. This ensures that the current hardware will remain compatible with new VR workouts. These include a new boxing mode for Supernatural, bodyweight workouts for Player 22 by Rezzil, and a FitXR fitness studio. And with the Active Pack, you can stay confident in your VR controls even when you’ve worked up a sweat.

Video: Rezzil Player 22 | Oculus Quest Platform

Education

Imagine a classroom that had access to anything in the world. Where surgeons could practise their technique, and technicians could design machines with a wave of their hands. That’s just part of the promise held by education within Facebook’s metaverse. Facebook has already invested $150 million USD in training creators working on educational systems for the metaverse.

And this isn’t limited to purely technical instruction. The metaverse is inherently social. And Facebook is working to ensure that the educational systems of the future are a fully collaborative event that will bring people together. Current highlights include FutureSchool and VictoryXR.

Video: VictoryXR VR

Presence Platform

What does it mean to feel present within the metaverse? Much of that comes down to your ability to manipulate and work with the environment. This, in turn, is the responsibility of software developers. But those developers aren’t facing the problem on their own. Facebook metaverse has a complete presence platform and interaction SDK to help developers make immersion a reality.

The presence platform isn’t just focusing on using your hands either. People interact with the world in a wide variety of ways. Facebook metaverse will support that same interactivity through Voice SDK and Passthrough API. It will even allow for mixed reality to combine the metaverse and real-world.

Facebook metaverse passthrough api

Image attribution: MSPowerUser

Spark AR

The Facebook metaverse already has a strong presence with augmented reality in the form of Spark AR. This system will allow for an augmented reality where users can see or interact with virtual objects placed within the real world. Facebook is heavily emphasising the social nature of augmented reality with Spark AR. For example, imagine going on a scavenger hunt with friends. It’d be easy to set up an event like that with almost any items or sights you could imagine. And you could easily place them anywhere you wanted. The Polar app will even make it easy for non-programmers to create content.

Video: Augmented reality and art come together in Felipe Pantone’s creations with Spark AR Studio

Technology & Devices Facebook is Developing to Enter The Metaverse

Of course, a high-tech metaverse needs some high-tech equipment. One of the most exciting aspects of Facebook metaverse stems from the fact that there are so many ways to interact with it. Facebook is helping push forward many different technologies to access the metaverse. But the following devices are the most significant examples of their efforts.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is what most people think of when talking about the Facebook metaverse. People put on a set of VR goggles and see a whole new digital world in front of them. At the moment, Facebook is putting most of its attention into the Oculus 2 VR system. It provides an incredible experience at an affordable price point. The company is also working on Project Cambria as a more cutting-edge VR solution. Project Cambria provides the best experience money can buy. However, the price point makes it best suited for a professional or educational environment rather than someone’s own home.

Video: Oculus Quest

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) mixes Facebook metaverse with the real world. One of the best things about AR is that you can often share it with others. It’s quite common for people to create a portfolio of artwork that combines the metaverse with physical reality. Facebook has created the world’s largest AR platform with Spark AR. Over 400,000 creators are using Spark AR. And Facebook’s Spark AR Gallery makes it easy for any of them to share their work with the public. Facebook’s Creator Profiles also simplify the process of building up a professional portfolio of AR work.

Video: Spark AR Creators

Smart Glasses

Smart glasses provide a more lightweight version of augmented reality. Augmented reality typically blends the digital and analog worlds into a singular whole. The current Facebook metaverse take on smart glasses provides a more tightly focused experience. At the moment, Facebook has teamed up with Ray-Ban to create smart glasses which can provide users with basic information through their glasses. This typically consists of notifications from a smartphone app. But users can also use the glasses to capture images and video. These smart glasses are best seen as a first-gen take on the concept that will eventually mature over time.

Video: Ray-Ban Stories

What Does Facebook Say About Building The Metaverse Responsibly?

The Facebook metaverse is an essential platform. It’s a virtual world where people will learn, play and enjoy real human connections with each other. But anything that important comes with a lot of responsibility. And Facebook has made it clear that they take that responsibility very seriously.

The company has stated that they’re working with human and civil rights communities to ensure inclusiveness is built into the metaverse from the start. Facebook isn’t just working with non-profits, though. They also involve other companies to ensure the metaverse is a robust and interoperable system.

Facebook is concentrating on responsibility through a few main points. These include economic opportunity, privacy, safety, and equity. One of the central themes among all of these topics is personal opportunity. People will have the ability to thrive in any way they desire – whether that means entering the economic marketplace or through access to education.

Criticism of Facebook in The Metaverse

Of course, any big project will come with concerns. The Facebook metaverse is no exception to that rule. People have raised some criticism against Facebook’s involvement with the metaverse.

Privacy concerns

It’s natural to expect the Facebook metaverse to be similar. Facebook is essentially a giant record of every user’s life. This means that it will eventually contain a huge amount of everyone’s data. What’s more, people can’t simply disconnect that data by taking off their VR goggles. Corporations might even manipulate public opinion by presenting different metaverses to different people. Facebook needs to make sure that people’s privacy is always protected.

General Mistrust in Facebook

Many people don’t feel that Facebook is a safe or trustworthy platform. This is in large part due to previously mentioned privacy concerns. However, it’s also because Facebook’s current userbase is ageing. The average age of someone on Facebook is now 41. The platform is working toward acquiring a younger userbase. And some people are considered that they might leverage the metaverse as an addictive lure to do so.

Distracting from PR Crisis

Facebook is currently in the midst of a PR crisis stemming from various sources. The company is associated with everything from harmful disinformation, to political polarization and even impaired mental health among young adults. Some people are concerned that Facebook’s rebranding to Meta and interest in the metaverse are more about distraction than development. They contend the company is trying to deflect negative attention by engaging in a flashy and exciting venture.

The Future of Facebooks Metaverse

Of course, Facebook metaverse is in its early stages. New technologies like Ray-Ban Stories are just now entering the market. What’s now only notifications will eventually grow into full augmented reality. Likewise, people can expect to see every aspect of Facebook metaverse grow from now into something larger.

Some of the plans for the future are stylish. The new glasses are one aspect of that focus. But users can also expect to see more photorealistic avatars in the metaverse. New input methods like electromyography will bring immersion even further as well. AI will even offer intelligent interactions.

Facebook Metaverse Among Other Metaverse Companies

Facebook and Meta, are not the only big players in the metaverse sector. Many other tech giants have entered the race to become the most prominent metaverse company. Whether they are focusing on producing the technology, devices, or software, each is searching for a unique angle to cement their value in the industry.

For more information about which companies are the most prominent in the metaverse, read the “Metaverse Companies Building The Future; An Overview” article.

The Facebook metaverse will continue to grow well into the future. The company has already produced an impressive amount of example implementations in a short amount of time. And their plans for the future are equally remarkable.

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