Metaverse is blending augmented and virtual reality

Ali Sajwani, General Manager Operations, DAMAC

Anyone with even a passing interest in innovation will know that virtual reality and augmented reality have been touted as game-changing technologies for years and, in some cases, decades.

Even so, their ability to cut through into people’s everyday lives always seems to lie just out of grasp, like a shimmering digital mirage on the horizon. One has lost count of the number of times; deflated commentators have explained that widespread adoption of virtual reality and augmented reality is probably just one more iteration away.

But as technological advances, consumer interest and industry investment collide, we may be about to see these nascent industries boom.

One is not suggesting this convergence has appeared out of the blue. There has been an unmistakable creep during recent years, driven in no small part by increased adoption of virtual reality and augmented reality in the face of the pandemic.

Consequently, companies that previously seemed somewhat reluctant to wholeheartedly embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution are now incorporating these technologies into their short- and medium-term business plans.

So, does this mean virtual reality and augmented reality are finally ready to break through into the mainstream?

The much, discussed metaverse is as good a place as any to consider the potential ramifications of these technologies. The vision of metaverse proponents is to build a truly immersive virtual world in which digital denizens can interact with entertainment, brands and importantly – one another.

There are plenty of metaverse sceptics out there and one can understand why. After all, it is difficult to get excited about technologies based on second-hand accounts and explanations at the best of times, but especially when extended to first-hand, subjective experiences. This is like trying to advertise colour television in black and white; it just does not make sense.

Similarly, the use of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies in conjunction with the metaverse needs to be experienced first-hand to be believed.

We should also keep in mind the potential of these technologies to enhance people’s quality of life through improved accessibility. Just consider how the metaverse, powered by virtual reality and augmented reality, could bring new experiences to a wider audience, enabling people of determination, for instance, to enjoy life in ways that would not previously have been possible.

Another reason for optimism when it comes to virtual reality and augmented reality going mainstream is the constantly growing landscape of compatible platforms.

The latest iteration of the web is all about decentralisation, wrestling the power from huge corporations such as Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google, and redistributing it among more diverse online communities.

That is not to say these technology giants will become an endangered species. On the contrary, the biggest players are busy eyeing opportunities related to decentralisation, but their roles are likely to evolve significantly during the coming decade.

The point is that our digital future will be more social and more user centric. We all stand to benefit from this shift, and as smaller, more agile companies continue to develop their own platforms, we will no doubt see virtual reality and augmented reality environments springing up across the web.

Many of us already engage with augmented reality on a daily basis, using our smartphones’ ever-growing capabilities to add effects to our images and videos via social media overlays. But this is just the beginning.

As many of you will know, a range of gaming-centric augmented reality and virtual reality offerings have come to market during recent years, with everything from the more casual Pokémon and Harry Potter games to hardware such as PS virtual reality and Oculus Quest.

Sport is another area in which virtual reality and augmented reality will become the norm, enhancing experiences for both spectators and participants. Imagine cycling through a beautiful scenic route from the comfort of your exercise bike, or perhaps exercising in a sci-fi-inspired futurescape.

While nothing quite beats meeting in person, virtual reality has the ability to bring people together in meaningful, connected ways across continents. The potential advantages for business meetings, family time and socialising are therefore easy to envisage.

There are, of course, indirect benefits of this shift to virtual connectivity. Remote meetings can help save travel time as well as the planet, since there is no need to jump on a flight when you can interact with your colleagues, family and friends regardless of your respective locations.

Augmented reality, on the other hand, will allow for a shift in the way inanimate objects are viewed in the world – not to mention how we interact with them. There will be greater adoption of this technology in advertising, experiential entertainment and even the food and beverage sector.

Put simply, virtual reality and augmented reality stand to change our lives by enhancing our physical reality and introducing richer experiences to the time we spend online. But will this be the year when these technologies finally hit mainstream?

Perhaps we will need to wait for just one more iteration.


Key Takeaways 

  • Companies that previously seemed somewhat reluctant to embrace Fourth Industrial Revolution are now incorporating these technologies.
  • Does this mean virtual reality and augmented reality are finally ready to break through into the mainstream?
  • Metaverse is as good a place as any to consider potential ramifications of these technologies.
  • The vision of metaverse is to build a truly immersive virtual world in which digital denizens can interact.
  • There are plenty of metaverse sceptics out there and one can understand why.
  • It is difficult to get excited about technologies based on second-hand accounts and explanations at best of .
  • This is like trying to advertise colour television in black and white.
  • The use of virtual and augmented reality in conjunction with metaverse needs to be experienced first-hand.
  • Sport is another area in which virtual reality and augmented reality will become the norm.

The vision of metaverse is to build an immersive virtual world in which digital denizens can interact with entertainment, brands and one another.

Ali Sajwani, General Manager Operations, DAMAC
Ali Sajwani, General Manager Operations, DAMAC.