The evolution of the metaverse has been an unstoppable phenomenon over the past 18 months, and immersive technologies are coming online which make our lives more interconnected than ever. So, what can we expect from 2023?
Will Meta continue to hemorrhage capital as Zuckerberg chases the dream of a vast virtual realm that does for the metaverse what Facebook did for social networking? Will decentralized alternatives to Zuck's walled garden win the day? Will we all be wearing VR headsets by Christmas?!
For our money, these are the trends most likely to drive metaverse evolution in the year ahead.
Gaming
OK, you don't have to be a clairvoyant to predict big things from the gaming sector. After all, GameFi projects have largely fuelled the metaverse market thus far. VR technology provides a unique and immersive gaming experience that simply cannot be found anywhere else. In 2023, more and more people are likely to gravitate to the metaverse to earn and trade NFTs, to participate in play-to-earn, and generally to find out what all the fuss is about.
Education
Another trend that we see gaining traction is the use of the metaverse for education purposes and staff training. There are already many examples of this, such as the recent metaverse schooling program implemented by the Japanese city of Toda.
With its ability to provide highly interactive simulations, realistic virtual environments are perfect for learning new skills or practicing difficult tasks. We expect more businesses and educational institutions to harness this potential in the coming year.
Metaverse Marketing
The growth of marketing in virtual environments has been something to behold. Major brands including Coca-Cola and Nike have taken to advertising their wares in virtual reality, with the latter even launching its own branded interactive space, Nikeland.
With more organizations seeking to interact with consumers in immersive and interactive ways, we will definitely see novel digital campaigns leveraging metaverse tech in 2023. And not just from major players with bottomless marketing budgets!
Product Testing (Digital Twins)
Digital twins might just be the future of product testing. By creating a digital simulacrum of a product, companies can trial products under a range of conditions and amass data relating to a product's performance. Information which can then be used to influence the design of the product and make it more reliable.
With the use of digital twins, companies can save time and money and even test products which are difficult or even impossible to test IRL. Think about having the ability, for instance, to assess the performance of products in extreme environments – like space or deep underground.
Digital twins aren't limited to physical products either; they can be used to test software and other digital systems. It’s hard not to see the use of metaverse clones increasing in 2023 and beyond.
Metaverse Events
After Eminem and Snoop performed in the metaverse recently, we’re destined to see more major metaverse live events including concerts and festivals. Such jamborees will give fans the opportunities to connect with their favorite artists in VR, and with the recent launch of platforms like Sansar and High Fidelity, we think it's only a matter of time before we start seeing some truly mind-blowing immersive concert experiences.
Well, there you have it: five trends highly likely to drive metaverse expansion in 2023. What do you think will be the #1 factor?
