As the universe of blockchain and crypto continues to evolve dynamically, prominent names like Meta, formerly known as Facebook, are increasingly delving into the ever-growing space of virtual reality and metaverse. Their latest product, Horizon Worlds, has recently launched on mobile and web platforms in an early access phase. The 3D avatar-based social platform, initially confined within the realm of virtual reality headsets, aims to expand its purview, reaching out to people’s smartphones and computers.
Despite the ringing trumpets of progress, the initial rollout permits only a small cluster of individuals to gain access to it on the web or the Meta Quest app on Android. While Meta aims to include iOS users in the coming weeks, the scope of access seems to belie the metaverse’s supposedly universal accessibility.
Further adding to the nuances of this scenario, Meta’s user statistics remain undisclosed to the public, further raising questions towards its actual reach and effectiveness. An October 2022 report from The Wall Street Journal poignantly suggested that Meta’s active users were a mere fraction below 200,000. The question lingers – can a nascent metaverse achieve its professed universal appeal with such limited reach?
Meta’s commitment towards strengthening the accessibility of its metaverse is ambitious. The ideal is to ensure its availability to everyone – irrespective of the device they use. Quest headsets, as elucidated by Meta, serve as immersive portals into this novel universe, but the metaverse ought to have multiple touchpoints facilitating access. Amid limited accessibility and unconfirmed user stats, Meta’s promise of a democratized metaverse that caters to every individual may appear to hang in the balance.
Yet, even amidst the ambiguity, one cannot miss the attempts that blockchain-based metaverse platforms are making to revamp the traditional order. Take for instance two significant players – Decentraland and The Sandbox. Both metaverse platforms have chosen to launch their journey as PC and web-based experiences first, a stark contrast to Meta’s path.
Arguably, Meta’s attempt to democratize access to the metaverse and the commendable steps taken by blockchain-based platforms are indicative of the rock and hard place that the industry finds itself wedged between. While it is fairly simple to anticipate the potential scope of virtual reality and metaverses, the tangible application of these ambitions is yet to match up. After all, is it not ironic that in the bid to build an all-encompassing digital universe, its very creators are grappling with striking a balance between innovation and accessibility? Such is the paradox of the technologically-driven world we live in – forever marching in step with progress, and yet always awaiting the perfect dawn of integration and inclusivity.
Source: Cointelegraph
