The metaverse has rapidly evolved and it’s no longer a word that describes a futuristic vision of virtual worlds connected by the internet. Today, the metaverse already exists, with digital realms like The Sandbox and Decentraland playing host to an array of games and events that can’t be experienced anywhere else.
So, what kinds of things can we do in the metaverse? To answer this question, we first need to define what the metaverse is. It can be thought of as your own, virtual environment. In the near future, going online won’t involve just staring at a screen, but rather, immersing yourself in a living virtual space that’s only just beginning to stretch the boundaries of what’s possible.
Virtual reality received a lot of hype amid the COVID-19 pandemic and with good reason. The shift to remote work and online collaboration came at a time when we’ve seen rapid advancements in VR, augmented reality and highly realistic graphics. So it was possible to jump from going to work to a digital workspace with relative ease. However, given that the pandemic also prevented in-person human contact, it’s no wonder that the idea of a metaverse that can still provide these experiences has quickly caught on.
Things We Can Do In the Metaverse Today
The metaverse is certainly not a one-dimensional thing. Instead, it’s made up of multiple layers, indexes and virtual places that combine with one another to create an entirely new and immersive digital world. With that comes a multitude of possibilities, and many of these have already been explored.
Hang Out With Friends
The most obvious use case of the metaverse is it provides a space for people to meet up with their friends, and also strangers. While it’s hard to pin down a definition of the metaverse that everyone can agree on, one prevailing idea is that social interaction is a key element. As such, hanging out with friends in the virtual world is one of the main activities that can be done today.
Well known metaverses like The Sandbox, Decentraland and Cryptovoxels have tons of digital real estate for sale that anyone can purchase. Once they’ve bought some land, they can then set about building on it, and the only real limit is their imagination – NFT stores, art galleries, luxury mansions, shipping districts, digital cafes are all commonplace in these top metaverses, and just exploring them all would take up a fair bit of time. Whether it’s sitting in a digital cafe chatting with your friends, or relaxing on the sofa with your other half, virtual connections have never felt so real. You can even visit live music performances and attend shows with your friends, no matter where you’re located physically.
Explore The World Of Art
Another big deal in the metaverse is the world of art, which is generally represented by non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. The metaverse is home to dozens of popular art galleries, featuring exhibitions and works from some of the world’s best known digital artists.
The Second Life metaverse is one of the most unique places to find high quality digital art since it’s known for having more realistic graphics than other virtual worlds. Within Second Life, you’ll be able to drop by Art Korner, which exhibits collections exploring dozens of different themes. As with any real world gallery, Art Korner will regularly host new exhibits so it pays to check back often. Previously, it hosted art from renowned artists including Monique Beebe and Mila Maesa.
In Decentraland, one of the most popular galleries is SciArt, which exhibits art that depicts the intersection of science, humanity and the metaverse. It’s a cutting-edge art gallery with many of the works on display following a futuristic theme that very often breaks the laws of real-world physics.
Attend Fashion Shows
Maybe it’s not art but fashion you’re interested in? Well, in that case you’ll be pleased to know that the metaverse is jam packed with virtual catwalks showcasing the very best virtual designs. Decentraland’s first-ever fashion week in March 2022 famously received far more attention than any digital fashion event so far. It was a series of virtual events that attracted a wide range of popular brands and creatives, such as Dundas, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro and Estée Lauder to name just a few. The entire experience was blockchain-based, hosted on virtual land within the metaverse, with digital fashion bought and worn as NFTs.
For a more hands-on fashion experience, check out Fashion League, a unique metaverse game that’s centered on a digital world where players can acquire land then build their own fashion stores. It’s a kind of metaverse-based fashion shopping district, with players able to design and create their own fashion styles, including dresses, shirts, pants and accessories. Players can also exhibit their collections at regular events, take part in design contests and more. There’s a real-world angle too, for Fashion League is also looking to attract established brands that want to build a presence within the digital world.
Bet On Horse Races
The metaverse also provides earnings opportunities through a range of play-to-earn games, with one of the most popular titles being Derby Stars, the first horse racing metaverse game. With Derby Stars, players must acquire NFT horses, then work to level them up, breed new horses or trade them on the marketplace. Then there are the races, where big prizes are on offer.
Derby Stars provides plenty of unique ways for players to interact, creating a vibrant in-game economy. Aside from the races, which players can place their bets on, it’s also possible to breed horses and create newly-minted NFTs that share the attributes of their parent horses. Then, players must work to level up their horses while managing them efficiently in cooperation with other players. In this way, there’s a lot more to Derby Stars than just riding and trying to win. Just as important is the training, and ensuring your horses are happy and healthy. It’s a full time job that is only made possible by the metaverse.
Collaborate On Work
The metaverse is not just about playing games and socializing. In addition, it’s also a place to get work done. We’re talking about a no-Zoom zone where instead of collaborative video calls, teams will instead be able to drop by a more immersive, virtual office environment where they can meet their colleagues face-to-face.
Within this digital office, you’ll be able to chat with your colleagues, collaborate on all kinds of projects, participate in virtual meetings and more. Early examples include Facebook parent company Meta’s Horizon Workrooms, which make it possible to hold virtual meetings with Oculus headsets, and the startup Teamflow, where companies can design their very own virtual conference rooms, avatars and more.
Conclusion
The metaverse is still a very nascent space but already it has brought dozens of ideas to reality. The future is a lot closer than we thought, because already there are hundreds of things we can do in the metaverse today. Those who explore the metaverse today will find everything they need to enjoy an extremely fruitful digital life.
