Virtual Reality Metaverses (on blockchain) There are no reliable data on users, except for Decentraland, counting approximately 300.000 monthly users (my estimation). There is a limited number of projects, although awareness is growing massively, especially from brands. WIthin these worlds you can buy virtual lands and tokenized objects, using the native crypto currency. The third quadrant is about desktop/browser-based metaverses that use blockchain. Fortnite is estimated to have around 24 million daily active users, while Minecraf is around 15 million DAU.ĭesktop/Browser-based Metaverses (on blockchain) In terms of usership, Roblox is the largest world (54,7 million daily active users).
It is the largest group as it includes older solutions like Active Worlds, Second Life and Habbo.There are also games with social features (like Fortnite, Roblox) and worlds targeted for kids (like Gaia Online, Woozworld, Avakin Life, Minecraft). In the second quadrant we can find those virtual worlds you can enter via browser or by downloading a desktop app. Horizon Worlds counts 300.000 users.ĭesktop/Browser-based Metaverses (no blockchain) Rec Room and AltSpace VR (Microsoft) gather 1 million users. In terms of adoption, it seems that VR Chat totals 4 million users. What is the state of these VR apps? We know that Oculus, the market leader, sold 10 million devices. They don’t use blockchain technology to power their internal economy. In the first quadrant you can find the 3D worlds that you can explore with a virtual headset. Virtual Reality Metaverses (no blockchain) Each quadrant shows logos by release date (from older to recent, from bottom to top). My Map of the Metaverse shows virtual worlds segmented by access mode (virtual reality devices or desktop/web browsers) and the technology powering their internal economy (blockchain or not). Engage and Virbela) and creation platforms (made to build 3d worlds (i.e.Vircadia and OpenSimulator). I have ruled out business platforms (i.e. Identity: avatars can move freely in space people can use them to interact with the virtual environment.Social (no pure videogames, typically lacking the main social features).I have considered the digital universes with the following characteristics: Why? Because I couldn’t find anything as such, and to offer everyone a platform to start from, in order to (at least) imagine in what directions they might evolve. In the meantime we must settle for a multitude of independent virtual worlds that I have decided to map. A web made of 3D worlds, persistent and interoperable, not just bidimensional pages ( see Matthew Ball essay). What is not here is the metaverse meant as the next evolution of the Internet. Some say it is basically virtual reality others argue it’s “augmented” reality others describe it as nothing else than 3D video games, now labelled with a new shiny name. Everyone seems to know what (the hell) the metaverse is.