The metaverse is a hot topic. Facebook and Microsoft are both trying to get ahead of the game, but what is it? When will we see it?

Neal Stephenson is the person who came up with the name "metaverse." In his book Snow Crash, he said that people use lifelike avatars in 3D buildings and other virtual reality environments.

Since then, many things have happened to make the idea of the metaverse- an online world where people can interact. This includes augmented reality, virtual reality, holographic avatars with video, and other means of communication. They are all part of this world that will be very real.

The internet is a place where people can go to play games. And some of those games are called Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox. These companies have been thinking about the future of virtual worlds and they want to be part of it too.

What is the Metaverse?

The metaverse is a place where people can live in the digital world. It is a combination of virtual reality, augmented reality, and video. They can work, play and stay connected with friends from concerts to conferences all around the world.

When can we see it?

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, thinks it will take five to 10 years before the key features of the metaverse become mainstream.

But some aspects of the metaverse already exist. People can use ultra-fast broadband speeds, virtual reality headsets, and persistent always-on online worlds even though these things may not be accessible to all people at this time.

Examples of the metaverse

Today, a company called Facebook has made investments in virtual reality. They have already bought a company that makes VR headsets. They are making a digital world where people's avatars can meet each other. And they think it could replace the internet as we know it!

Microsoft

Microsoft is making holograms and mixed reality to go with augmented reality or VR. Microsoft showed off plans for the future of Microsoft Teams, which will have mixed-reality including holograms and virtual avatars. And they are also working on AR Hololens 2 headsets for soldiers to train, rehearse, and figure out what is happening in the war.

Epic

Epic Games is a company. Its owner, Tim Sweeney, says Epic Games is working on the "metaverse." They have hosted concerts by Ariana Grande and Travis Scott. They have also shown movie trailers and music debuts there. And they are developing something called the MetaHuman Creator which can make digital people look real.

Roblox

Roblox is a platform where you can make your own games. It is worth more than $45 billion dollars now. The CEO says thank you to all the people who helped make this happen. Roblox has partnered with a shoe company, Vans, to create a skateboarding park where people can walk around and do tricks on their skateboards.

Minecraft

Minecraft is a popular game where people can build things. It is like Legos. There are other games, but they are not as popular. One of these games is Second Life, which came out in 2003 and has been around for 10 years already.