Metaverse is arguably the most trending tech topic, and why not? It has to be one of the biggest tech advancements of all time and a giant leap towards a virtual world that is as real as the world we are living in (minus the issues).
Powered by blockchain technology, Metaverse offers a whole new level of immersion and creativity – it is not just a game but is expected to be an alternate life for people in the years to come.
What Exactly Is The Metaverse?
The first concept of Metaverse came out in 1992 when Neal Stephenson coined the term in his novel, Snow Crash. In that, he talked about an alternative internet world where people would live a life, interact with each other and play games. This is exactly what is being done by Facebook and other upcoming projects (like LunaOne etc.).
There are several real-world activities one can undertake within a Metaverse and it involves and is not limited to studying, working in a job, dating, playing games, engaging in combats, participating in decision-making councils for the metaverses and so much more.
You can also purchase virtual real estate on the Metaverse and build a property there, interact with brands that exist in reality through their Metaverse ‘branches’, the possibilities of activities are endless!
All this is further made immersive through the integration of augmented reality that is, you wear your VR glasses and you get transported to a 3D realistic Metaverse world.
Sounds like a science fiction movie? It is indeed the reality now!
How To Get Into The Metaverse?
Getting into the Metaverse does not require you in any way to be tech-savvy and all that. You will just need a system with the Internet, of course, a cryptocurrency wallet for all the transactions inside the Metaverse, and smart glasses (depending on the Metaverse).
Step 1: Get Your Avatar
This avatar will represent you in virtual space. Once you login to any Metaverse, it will prompt you to choose and customize what your avatar will look like.
You can choose from a variety of clothes, hairstyles, skin tones, accessories, body shape, size, etc.
Additionally, you can also purchase all these by using your crypto through various retail shops inside the Metaverse.
Step 2: See And Explore Around
Just like the real world, you need to make the initial effort to blend in. The Metaverse offers a variety of interactive options to talk to people by using messages, video calls, search engines, and even Alexa!
Take a walk around and understand the world, understand what and where everything is situated, and understand how you would interact with the shopkeepers and other different types of characters.
Unlike the real world, of course, Metaverse allows you the option to get teleported to another part of the world! Sounds exciting?
Step 3: Engage In Video Games
This is going to be one of the primary means of entertainment for your virtual avatar. There are so many types of games you can play from shooter to racing to action to horror.
Many of the titles that are available in the real world (for gaming consoles) will be made available in the Metaverse as well.
Each game will carry its own reward system for the top and most regular players and these would be in the form of crypto tokens. To have an even more immersive Metaverse experience, play these games with a VR headset.
Step 4: Attend Virtual Events
Another major exciting factor for Metaverses is the virtual events! You can either organize one for your friends (say a birthday party or an office meeting ), or you can attend events organized by others (a concert).
Roblox has already begun curating incredible virtual events in different metaverses featuring artists such as Twenty One Pilots and even a Gucci Fashion Show!
In the future, you can also expect work meetings to be held virtually on the Metaverse with 3D avatars of each of the employees.
They would be connected with each other on existing collaborative platforms such as Microsoft Teams.
Step 5: Explore How Cryptos, NFTs Work
In the virtual world, you buy and sell items (and these will be in the form of NFT) through cryptocurrency.
You need to look deeply into which cryptocurrencies are accepted in Metaverse, the mode of transactions, the general pricing (is it too expensive or cheap), where do you store the tokens, and where the NFTs are stored.
If you would like to understand how buying and selling NFTs work, the real-world marketplace for it like OpenSea.io is a good place to begin. Understanding this is vital to making sure your experience with the virtual world is complete.
Now that you have seen how to blend into a Metaverse, let us look at some of the common Metaverse experiments you can be part of so that you can get a feel of what the virtual world looks like. Sandbox and Decentraland are currently open to the public and joining them is simpler than ever!
Also Read: What is Metaverse And How Does It Work?
How To Join Sandbox Metaverse?
The Sandbox Metaverse allows you to create your own digital avatars, play games and buy virtual goods.
Steps to Join Sandbox Metaverse:
Step 1: Go to the Sandbox Website
Step 2: Click on ‘Sign In’
Step 3: Connect Your MetaMask Account
Step 4: Enter Email ID, Password, and your username (this will be your name in the Metaverse)
Step 5: Click on Çreate
Step 6: Download the Metaverse and Install It
Step 7: Log in with the above credentials and you are in!
How To Join Decentraland Metaverse?
On the other hand, Decentraland is also quite similar to Sandbox and it does not even require the software to be downloaded and installed.
Steps to Join Decentraland Metaverse:
Step 1: Go to Decentraland Website
Step 2: Click on ‘Start Exploring’’
Step 3: Choose between Play as Guest or Play Using Wallet. If you choose the latter, connect your Fortmatic/WalletConnect/Metamask Wallet
Step 4: The Game will load and you are ready to play!
Also Read: Top Metaverse Games Play-to-Earn
Conclusion
This is a short guide on getting into a Metaverse and the plethora of activities you can do inside of them.
It is exciting and since it’s still under development, there’s so much more to expect in the coming months and years! So, get started with Metaverses today!
