In futurism and science fiction, the metaverse is a hypothetical
iteration of the Internet as a single, universal and immersive virtual
world that is facilitated by the use of virtual reality
(VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. In
colloquial use, a metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused
on social connection.
Tech giants like Microsoft and Meta are
working on building tech related to interacting with virtual worlds,
but they're not the only ones. Many other large companies, including
Nvidia, Unity, Roblox, and even Snap—as well as a variety of smaller
companies and startups—are building the infrastructure to create
better virtual worlds that more closely mimic our physical life.