The Metaverse is a hypothetical future version of the Internet built around immersive virtual worlds, virtual reality, and augmented reality. It’s not here yet, but the concept is that it will allow people to work, play, chat, learn, shop and more through a unified virtual experience.

Big tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google, gaming companies like Epic Games, and even big brands like Nike and retailers like Walmart are vying to control the development of the Metaverse or gain access to valuable virtual marketplaces. Facebook even renamed itself Meta specifically to signal its focus on developing the next Metaverse.

What does metaverse mean?

Metaverse is a portmanteau of the words meta and universe and was coined in 1992 by Neal Stephenson in science…