Metaverse enables people to transport themselves into spaces that they could not have experienced possibly in the real world. It is a new perception of the world in AR. It transports people into alternative realities. Real world has its own excitements. Metaverse promises something more — virtual meetings, the opportunity to try new products without leaving home, meeting unknown people, gaming, everything new. One can organise weddings, festival meets in the metaverse. These virtual spaces act as a platform to live a second life. There could be exhibitions, business meetings, hangout zones, shopping and conferences.

In game, the designs are set. A new level cannot be created. In metaverse, there are immense possibilities of creating life-like experiences.

Many companies have started working in this field — Meta, Epic Games, Nvidia and Microsoft. It is necessary to have world-wide open source standards formally. These standards will define the hardware, software, infrastructure or experience and other technical parameters.

Such virtual spaces must be made safe, say from sexual predators. Gaming too can be addictive. At times, the engagement here could be at the cost of tasks and responsibilities in the real world. At times, there is no distinction between a real person or an AI-assisted agent provocateur.

There would be a virtual economy in metaverse facilitated by digital currencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). There could be patient counselling in VR both before and after surgery.

Today’s generation would treat metaverse as an extension of themselves.