Virtual reality technology is becoming more and more prevalent and accessible, with some even believing it to be in the irreversible future.
The internet is becoming more and more immersed with virtual worlds, usually referred to as "METAverses". It's just like being able the explore any world you can imagine.
The Metaverse is the virtual world that we have all been dreaming of - accessible computers in our pockets, endless knowledge banks at our fingertips, and experiences only limited by our imagination. It's quite unlike anything that's come before it, and it may be coming sooner than you know.
Here are five top companies that are building the metaverse.
1. Microsoft
Microsoft has unveiled a solution to this problem that begins rolling out in 2022. Mesh for Microsoft Teams combines the mixed-reality capabilities of Microsoft Mesh, which allows people in different physical locations to join collaborative and shared holographic experiences with the productivity tools of Microsoft Teams where people can join virtual meetings, send chats, and share documents.
Mesh for Teams – which anyone will be able to access from standard smartphones and laptops to mixed-reality headsets – is designed to make online meetings more personal, engaging, and fun. It's also a gateway to the metaverse – a persistent digital world that is inhabited by digital twins of people, places, and things.
Image Source: Microsoft
2. Epic Games
Epic Games announced they completed a $1 billion round of funding which will allow the company to support future growth opportunities. Epic's equity valuation is now $28.7 billion.
Their investment will help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services and the Epic Games Store.” Said Tim Sweeney, CEO, and Founder, Epic Games.
3. Facebook(Meta)
Facebook has recently been moving towards the development of its own future for the Metaverse. They hope to make it a decentralized, peer-to-peer, virtual reality platform that will be affordable and accessible to everyone through VR devices like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
Additionally, Facebook wants to increase location-based social interactions within the Metaverse by creating "spaces."
Mark Zuckerberg announced on Facebook that it will integrate its platform with virtual reality technology so that users can interact with it.
A large number of VR companies are competing to enhance their product to be compatible with Facebook's metaverse products, which include its Oculus Rift headset and graphics.
In terms of social media dominance worldwide, you should know that Facebook's sheer number of users is about two billion contributors. If their launches are successful, their newest creation- the Facebook metaverse- could be a hit amongst a majority of demographic groups around the world.
4. NVIDIA
Nvidia is a company that has been leading the forefront of next-gen tech innovations for years and will surely help change the face of our world. The Metaverse is one of their greatest inventions. It is an immersive computer interface being built to build participants into an exciting 3D digital world where everyone is a creator, educator, inventor, and social explorer.
Omniverse is being used in a growing number of industries for things like design collaboration and creating “digital twins,” simulations of real-world buildings and factories.
The first is Omniverse Nucleus. It’s a database engine that connects users and enables the interchange of 3D assets and scene descriptions.
Once connected, designers doing modeling, layout, shading, animation, lighting, special effects, or rendering can collaborate to create a scene.
Omniverse Nucleus relies on USD, or Universal Scene Description, an interchange framework invented by Pixar.
5. Google
Google is quietly working on an innovative AR device. It seems that this product will use cameras to help the user. Google has invested heavily in computer vision which can be found in apps like Google Lens.
As noted by 9to5Google, former Oculus General Manager Mark Lucovsky is now at Google and overseeing the company’s AR unit.
According to Lucovsky’s LinkedIn account, he is leading the “Operating System team for Augmented Reality,” and has shared a link to several open roles. among those job descriptions are some insights into what Google has planned.
The firm notes engineers are “building the foundations for great immersive computing,” with a focus on making its operating system and associated devices “accessible to billions of people.”