A few short years ago, the metaverse was known only to science fiction enthusiasts, technologists, and futurists. Over the past few months, however, the metaverse has become a buzzword, with Facebook rebranding itself as Meta and Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard as part of their move into this new virtual world.
Whether you’ve changed the background theme on Roblox or explored Minecraft’s blocky 3D world, you’ve already experienced a little of what the metaverse has to offer. Gaming has always been at the forefront of technology, so it’s not particularly surprising that it’ll have a prominent role in the metaverse. With that in mind, now’s a good time to explore how video games may shape the metaverse, or vice versa.
Technology Has Transformed Gaming
Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed an explosion in online gaming with an estimated 3.24 billion gamers currently playing worldwide. Casual and serious gamers alike log long hours in front of their consoles, PCs, and smartphones, battling it out against friends, family, and strangers in online worlds. Video games have become so popular they’re considered a sport, with colleges offering generous scholarships to the most talented players.
The online casino sector is one example of how technology has transformed online gaming—allowing us to take our favorite games with us wherever we go. All you have to do is download an app to your smartphone or tablet to access the games you want. Technology has also made games more realistic, for example, allowing players to participate in live dealer games as if they were seated at a table in a casino.
The metaverse promises even more exciting changes to the iGaming sector. Virtual reality technology is still in its infancy but, in the future, you’ll be able to strap on a headset and enter a casino anywhere in the world.
How Gaming Fits into the Metaverse
The metaverse and gaming go hand in hand. Although the most anticipated games of 2022 be played in the metaverse, the future of gaming in this new reality isn’t very far away. After all, cross-platform games like Fortnite already let gamers explore an ever-changing virtual world with their friends. This battle royale game drops 100 players into a virtual environment where they battle it out to be the last player standing.
While several analysts have argued that Fortnite is an example of the metaverse already existing, that’s not entirely accurate. Fortnite and other games based in virtual worlds are more accurately described as mini metaverses. In the future, the metaverse will connect these different environments so you can travel from Fortnite to Minecraft and other stops in-between. Gaming has given us a window into what the metaverse may hold, but today’s games don’t represent everything that the metaverse has in store.
Today you can explore virtual worlds with your friends in several games. In the metaverse, you’ll sit side by side with your friends as you play those same titles and more. The metaverse will allow us to hang out with our friends and family members who live in other parts of the world. This new technology’s blending of reality and fantasy will make it almost impossible to distinguish the virtual world from the real world, taking gaming to the next level.
Gaming in the Metaverse
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will play a prominent role in gaming in the metaverse. Human-computer interaction hardware and software are the core components that will make the metaverse happen. So, if you’re planning to build your own gaming PC, be sure it has enough power to play the next-generation games.
These technologies will allow users to interact with each other in the metaverse’s interconnected world. Instead of loading a video game and existing in an already constructed world, in the metaverse, you’ll create your own content within the gaming world or even build games within a game.
Facebook introduced us to social gaming with games like Words With Friends and Candy Crush Saga. In the metaverse, gaming will take on an entirely new social dimension. You’ll be able to use your VR headset to invite friends to a game and form new relationships in a virtual world. There’s a lot more awaiting us in the metaverse, but only time will tell how it all plays out.
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