Meta is Trying to Destroy the Metaverse but Zuckerberg Won’t Let VR ie.

Meta owns Supernatural. The Quest 2 headset that it uses is also owned by Meta. Mark Zuckerberg’s sudden investment in virtual reality to pump billions of dollars seems like it will be the catalyst that lifts VR from the realm of enthusiasts and geeks. Unfortunately, Zuckerberg doesn’t seem to know what he wants with the “metaverse,” and that is not just for stockholders at the former Facebook. His vision of VR is so unrealistic that he threatens to not only take down Meta but to also so sour VR that both investors and consumers may think he has stopped progress for decades.

Meta owns Supernatural. The Quest 2 headset that it uses is also owned by Meta. Mark Zuckerberg‘s sudden investment in virtual reality to pump billions of dollars seems like it will be the catalyst that lifts VR from the realm of enthusiasts and geeks. Unfortunately, Zuckerberg doesn’t seem to know what he wants with the “metaverse,” and that is not just for stockholders at the former Facebook. His vision of VR is so unrealistic that he threatens to not only take down Meta but to also so sour VR that both investors and consumers may think he has stopped progress for decades.

Meta has sold 15,000,000 Quest 2 headsets in the past two years

Although it does not have the best visuals nor the processor required to create “can’t tell the difference” simulations, it is a good example of how to make tradeoffs in order to produce a product that both consumers want and can afford. It can offer experiences that are not only possible, but also expensive or difficult in real life. For example, you could tour cities around the globe. You can even try your hand at super spying, heart surgery, or operating in a space station within the rings of Saturn.

Some of these games are not great, but others are truly jaw-dropping. While there are not many “A-list” games, there are plenty of great moments that make “is it available for VR?” a top priority when reviewing a game. After you have climbed up a windy peak and reached an altitude where you can see eagles below, then you walk along a narrow ledge to reach a secret location. It’s hard to get excited about a game that just requires you to press the right button.

Meta introduced the Quest Pro in the last few weeks. This is a significantly improved device that has a thinner mask, a better screen and better controls. It’s all the Quest 2 owners would want after running into limitations. In practice, the Quest Pro is a complete disaster. The Quest Pro’s $1,500 price tag makes it more expensive than many consumers would be willing to pay for a system that is only marginally better than its three times-cheaper siblings. While the Quest Pro is better than Meta’s current offering, it is not as great as some high-end headsets used by professional designers to walk through new buildings or see how parts fit together in new cars.

It is too expensive to be a consumer product, but not enough to be used as a professional device. The Quest Pro is a product that falls in the gap. Most people’s first reaction to it is “Why did they make this?”

The answer lies in Zuckerberg’s fundamental misinterpretation of what people want out of virtual reality. The Quest Pro is expensive because it has a lot of cameras that can look at you. This camera will then be used to imitate your expressions in VR. This is a key part of Meta’s most expensive and laborious endeavor: making avatars that are more like you.

Zuckerberg announced that everyone would be able to create one avatar, which will eventually be photorealistic and follow you through the different “metaverse” experiences. This is likely because Zuckerberg sees anonymity as the root of all social media problems and as a threat to VR.

Meta is in serious trouble because of that. Because nobody wants that. There might be some people who think it would be grand to carry around a physical copy of their lives, from the experiences they had while climbing the pyramids to exploring distant worlds. It’s very rare.

VR is not capable of taking you to another place. It takes you from to

It can be very disconcerting to look down at the robot limbs and see steel manipulators. It is then strangely and viscerally liberating. It is easier than ever to get into a Character.

Quest offers an experience where you can see your arms replaced by the tentacles and floppy fingers of a large, city-threatening kaiju. It is quite disorienting to learn how your movements can guide those sucker-lined weapons of destruction through the screaming crowds. It’s as if you have always been a tall, snake-armed monstrosity. The National Guard is here!

The most loved VR Chat experience is probably the one that’s social. VR Chat allows users to wear whatever skin they want and dance, play games, or just talk to others. VR Chat is the best place to fly your freak flag in the multiverse. You might find yourself in one of the many rooms, swapping stories with a monocle-wearing talking cat, a purple gorilla or a hopping Christmas tree as well as a pink-haired, fairy-winged, anime girl with fairy wings. VR Chat allows people to present whatever they like, up to the limit of their ability to purchase or design an avatar.

An attempt to make avatars more real and to eliminate anonymity is one aspect of a fundamental misinterpretation of social media. This comes from someone who should know better. Online hate speech and ugliness are not rooted in anonymity. Even if they are forced to use their own names, people will freely display their racism, misogyny and other awfulness. This is what five minutes on Facebook and Twitter will prove. It takes just five minutes to read Daily Kos, which will also confirm that anonymity does not automatically lower the quality or increase the heat of online conversations.

Elon Musk and Zuckerberg don’t know how to create a sustainable online community. He has no excuse, unlike Musk.

However, that’s just half of the problem with Meta’s vision for VR. It seems to be primarily focused on VR replacing email, text messaging, or Zoom. It is not necessary to hold a Zoom meeting. You can simply sit at a virtual table, and gaze at your coworkers’ faces.

Why? It’s absurd.

less is the story of business meetings over many decades. In many cases, a phone call can replace face-to-face meetings. Phone calls are more efficient than emails most of the times. When a simple text message is sufficient, emails are not necessary.

The worst thing about work was always having to drag five, 10 or 20 people into a room and make them listen to the boss talk for an hour. Zoom meetings are a valuable supplement to text-based functions, which actually make it easier for people to communicate information more efficiently. Zoom meetings provide a valuable supplement to text-based functions that allows people to communicate more efficiently.

Zoom meetings are an ineffective way to manage people and should only be used rarely. Meetings are bad ways of managing people and should be used very seldom. People don’t like the idea of being told they can put on a VR headset to pretend that they are doing the same thing as their coworkers. Except for bosses who don’t like walking down the corridors of their office and seeing the little heads barely visible above them.

There isn’t much difference between Zuckerberg’s belief that people should work in VR spaces and Musk’s call for everyone to return to the office. Both are absurd. Both are silly, and it also includes wearing a headset.

VR is showing great promise, but VR does not try to recreate everyday life. We already have this environment. Why would we need to have two? Meta currently has almost complete control over VR in America. It’s spending billions trying to make VR something nobody wants while leaving out 99.99%.