Life and death of the metaverse: has this technology sung its swan song?

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In 2021 and 2022, the metaverse became the hottest topic of the moment in the technology arena. This technology, whose DNA was embedded in a revolution of supposedly colossal dimensions, was supposed to cause an earthquake similar to that caused by the discovery of the network of networks.

However, for some months now, the conversations around the metaverse, once enthusiastic, have become much calmer (and almost silent). However, the fact that the hype around this new generation of technology has slowed down does not mean that the metaverse has sung its swan song.

Artificial intelligence , for example, has remained in technological limbo for decades, so many feared that this technology would never be able to awaken from its slumber . However, in recent months, artificial intelligence, which once inspired so much pessimism in a good number of experts, has been "resurrected" with a vigor that few would have predicted just a few years ago.

The metaverse may be merely hibernating and may one day wake up, but in the meantime, it's worth looking at the reasons why the topic has languished so much in recent months . In an article for Fast Company, Harry McCracken dissects the reasons behind the metaverse's collapse:

1. Generative AI has stolen the spotlight from the metaverse
When the metaverse was at its peak, many observers refused to venture into the exuberance filled with irrationality that orbited around this technology. However, very few shy away from tools like ChatGPT or DALL-E 2 (or at least take the trouble to try them out). Generative AI may still be prone to errors, but it is a technology that is as understandable as it is accessible to everyone, and that is why it truly has the capacity to mark a before and after in the future of humanity.

2. The metaverse does not benefit from having Meta as its main supporter
That Facebook had the idea of ​​changing its name to Meta at the end of 2021 has been a resounding success to a certain extent. After all, for better or worse, many directly associate the development of the metaverse with the company led by Mark Zuckerberg. However, the fact that what is destined to be the next great revolution within the Internet is going to be carried on its wings by Meta, a company whose reputation is far from untouchable, feels like a bummer to many (and perhaps torpedoes its development).

3. The metaverse has been a victim of its own hype
The metaverse was probably “sold” too early and this ended up boring its potential users. Back in 2021, Meta showed a video at the Connect conference where two friends attended a Jon Batiste concert, one in person and the other using virtual reality headsets. According to the video, the experience of both friends was exactly the same. The idea that Meta sold in that video was unfortunately very far from reality and that is why many people have ended up disenchanted prematurely by a metaverse that has emerged from its shell while still very “green”.

4. Making the metaverse a reality involves a whole plethora of challenges
The metaverse will not really take shape until someone comes up with a hyper-realistic 3D technology that can be accessed using devices that are much lighter than current VR headsets and whose battery can last a whole day. Aware that VR headsets are a major barrier to entry into the metaverse, Meta is no longer ruling out the possibility that the metaverse could take the form of a two-dimensional experience accessible from any device, but the birth of this technology will not happen overnight.

5. Web3 is not helping the metaverse take off
Many people (rightly) associate the metaverse with Web3 , but since this technology taiwan number screening has very close ties to NFTs and cryptocurrencies, which have been in the eye of the storm for some time now, this relationship does not benefit the metaverse in any way. This concept has enough substance to thrive outside of NFTs and cryptocurrencies, but being so closely associated with these two technologies does the metaverse a disservice.

6. The metaverse is orphaned (for now) of "killer apps"
No one is quite sure what the killer app of the metaverse will be in the coming years. Will it be virtual meetings or perhaps virtual concerts? No one knows for sure, but for now, branded experiences are emerging from the belly of the metaverse, not experiences with the potential to change people’s lives. The metaverse has yet to find its killer app, and it will have to be transformative enough to really deserve such a title. In the meantime, we will have to make do with the “proto-metaverses” born from this technology.

The hype that was swirling around the metaverse a year ago has faded, but it could blossom again. After all, computing has always looked towards immersive models where the real world and the virtual world merge into a single universe. It is still too early to know whether or not the metaverse will crystallize into something similar to what Meta has in mind or whether it will be another technological giant who ends up giving fuel to this concept. Perhaps when the metaverse stops being a mere fiction and hatches, it will not even respond to the same name . The technological future is in many ways inscrutable and speculating (for the sake of speculating) is in many ways a task devoid of meaning.