At the Connect event, Mark Zuckerberg's keynote speech detailed his plans for a metaverse that mixes the real virtual world that allows people to connect anywhere in the world, using devices like the Oculus Quest 2 headset, Ray-Ban smart glasses Ban Stories and now Project Cambria. Users will be able to create AR beacons connected to real-world locations to create art and storytelling, play table tennis or chess with players who aren't physically there, and interact with digital objects that react realistically to the user's movements. Right now, Facebook's (now called Meta) plans are looking a lot more like science fiction, but Mark Zuckerberg is hard at work explaining how his Horizon VR and AR platform can bring those ideas to life. However, his cautious formulation reveals that this interconnected future is still uncertain.
Analysis: "It seems science fiction"
Mark Zuckerberg outlined a world where holograms will be by our side at concerts and where people can work together in digital offices despite being thousands of miles apart. Listening to her speak, it's hard not to be surprised at the world that could be. But the problem is that while aspects of this built-in metaverse already exist, the key pillars that will support most of Meta's vision seem to still be a decade away. The technology we have isn't here yet, and while we may start to move in the direction Meta indicates, the entire keynote is littered with speculation that leaves us wondering why we bothered connecting.