But does Meta really backtrack on the metaverse?
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At first glance, the determination of Meta towards projects related to the metaverse seems intact: this is demonstrated not only by the tens of billions invested despite the unfavorable economic cycle or the perseverance of Mark Zuckerberg (despite growing investor skepticism)but also the simple fact that social networks and not only have been flooded with advertisements with which the company talks about the advantages of the metaverse to come.
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Yet, a closer look reveals one very different situation from the one told until you drop in the course of 2022. First of all, the aforementioned advertisements (those that explain, for example, how “in the metaverse farmers will be able to get the most out of their crops”, as seen in this video) do not refer to virtual reality, but almost always to augmented reality.
They are two very different technologies: if virtual reality expects to transfer some experiences in a completely digital environmentBy isolating us from what physically surrounds us, augmented reality instead aims to add digital elements to the physical world, allowing us, for example, to view Google Maps directions directly on the asphalt. In short, these are in some ways antithetical tools, and it is curious that Meta (which has always described its metaverse as a virtual reality environment) is now shifting the emphasis to a different technology and that has very little to do with the idea that has been relentlessly promoted over the past twelve months. Is Meta perhaps undergoing a U-turn?
There is another aspect that could confirm this theory. In the post with which Andrew Bosworth, the technical lead of Meta’s Reality Labs (within which all virtual and augmented reality technologies are developed), recounts plans for 2023, the word “metaverse” never appears, not even once. A curious detail, considering that in last year’s equivalent post she was instead mentioned at least 12 times.
The first to notice this fact was, on his blog, Wagner expert James Auwho also related this curious absence with the very recent resignation of John Carmackspecialized in virtual reality and crucial consultant of Meta who had defined the construction of the metaverse a “moral imperative”.
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Also in the same post, Bosworth has however confirmed the release of the Quest 3 viewer for 2023 and also that Meta will continue to invest 20% of the budget in Reality Labs. However, 50% of this money will go towards the development of augmented reality viewers. And therefore, is Meta really abandoning the metaverse as it had understood it until yesterday and is trying, in a somewhat crude way, to redefine what is indicated by this term? Also considering the merciless numbers of Horizon Worlds (the environment designed by Meta that most resembles the metaverse and which in recent months has dropped from 300,000 to 200,000 monthly users), it cannot be excluded that Zuckerberg has understood that this colossal project is not exciting anyone.
Meta’s plans could then focus on a much more promising horse like augmented reality. However, the feeling is that we are also trying to make this technology fall under the umbrella of the metaverse, in order not to admit the enormous difficulties of the initial project.
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