Adoption and Inevitability of the Metaverse
Why the Metaverse Was Inevitable
The Metaverse isn’t a radical break from the past — it’s the natural next step in a long pattern of media evolution. Throughout history, media has allowed our senses to transcend physical boundaries. Radio let us hear from afar. Television added sight. The internet enabled real-time interaction across distance. This trend, the delocalization of sensory experience, inevitably leads to shared virtual environments.
As media becomes more immersive and interactive, it was only a matter of time before we designed worlds we could be in, not just observe. The Metaverse removes the limitations of physical space, enabling us to simulate environments, test ideas, and experience the impossible. It represents the next evolution in communication, design, exploration, and commerce.
This transition is underpinned by technologies like WebXR, which allow immersive content to run directly in web browsers, and open protocols that aim to make virtual worlds interoperable — just like websites today. These foundations are already being laid, even if most people haven’t noticed.
Boom, Bust, and Beyond: The Hype Cycle of the Metaverse
The Metaverse saw a surge in public attention in 2021, spurred by Meta’s rebrand and growing interest in virtual platforms. But soon after, the spotlight shifted to AI. Major players like Disney and Microsoft pulled out of Metaverse initiatives. Prices of virtual real estate in Decentraland plummeted. Critics began calling the Metaverse a fad.
But this follows a familiar pattern described by the Gartner Hype Cycle, where emerging technologies go through inflated expectations before reaching productivity. The Metaverse is still evolving. As standards form and hardware improves, it will mature.
Meta (formerly Facebook) continues to invest billions into the space. While the company now emphasizes AI more heavily, their Metaverse infrastructure remains a long-term priority. Many other companies are waiting for stronger ROI, better UX, and clearer use cases before reinvesting. Adoption will be slow and uneven, but the vision is still alive.
What Are We Even Calling It?
In the 1990s, the internet had multiple names: “cyberspace,” “the net,” “the information superhighway.” Eventually, we settled on “the internet” as the general term. The Metaverse may undergo a similar naming evolution.
There’s no single, agreed-upon definition today, but many agree it refers to an immersive internet: a network of virtual and mixed-reality spaces where users interact via digital avatars and interfaces. The Metaverse is the envisioned destination of web3, the spatial web, and systems powered by WebXR and open virtual world protocols.
Web1 was the static, read-only internet of the 1990s. Web2 introduced social media, mobile access, and user-generated content. Web3 and the spatial web represent a new stage where space, presence, and immersion define digital interaction.
It’s possible that the word “Metaverse” won’t survive the transition. Two scenarios seem likely: one, the Metaverse just becomes the internet, and we stop calling it anything new. Or two, we refer to it by its access points — “Hop into Horizon” or “Check the Portal” — just like we say “Google it” instead of “use the internet.”
The MAYA Principle and the Power of Familiarity
One major force shaping adoption is the MAYA Principle: “Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable.” For new technology to catch on, it has to blend futuristic promise with the comfort of the familiar.
This principle drives how XR tools and platforms introduce themselves to the public. The most effective early XR experiences build on what people already love. Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite didn’t just show off AR — they made it feel like a new chapter in beloved franchises. Familiarity reduces friction.
The design world embraces this too. Skeuomorphism — early app icons mimicking real-world objects — helped users transition from analog to digital. Today, AR glasses do something similar: showing restaurant reviews in real time, highlighting expiring groceries, or overlaying translations on foreign signs. It’s not just innovation — it’s accessibility.
Retailers are already using AR for “try before you buy” tools — previewing furniture in your living room or makeup on your face. Tourism apps use AR to translate signage or overlay historical facts as you explore cities.
This blend of novelty and nostalgia extends to storytelling. In Black Mirror’s “San Junipero,” VR becomes a portal to emotional memory — not a cold tech demo, but a meaningful human experience. XR adoption deepens when it meets emotional resonance.
From Gaming to Mainstream
Gaming is the most natural entry point for the Metaverse. Gamers already engage in 3D environments with digital avatars, economies, and social systems. The leap to immersive presence is small.
AAA VR games like Half-Life: Alyx show what’s possible with immersive storytelling, top-tier graphics, and intuitive locomotion systems. Games like A Wake Inn reimagine constraints — turning VR’s movement limitations into narrative features.
Half-Life: Alyx also shines in its texturing, lighting, and sound — from environmental echoes to the shifting sound of your clothing — reinforcing immersion beyond just visuals.
Today’s VR libraries are still full of indie experiments, but major studios are stepping in. As graphics and design improve, expectations rise. With high production value and gameplay depth, VR begins to look less like a tech demo and more like a creative medium. Adoption grows when the experience feels complete.
Location-Based VR: Testing the Waters
Before mass home internet, cyber cafes gave people their first taste. The same is happening with Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) VR — physical venues where people try immersive VR in groups.
LBE VR gives the general public an accessible, social, staff-guided entry point into XR. Whether it’s a haunted house, sci-fi shootout, or escape room, the draw isn’t just the headset — it’s the experience.
New innovations like Disney Imagineer Larry Smoot’s rotating hex-tile omnidirectional floor give LBE venues unique tools that can’t yet be replicated at home. Still, history suggests that home adoption may eventually outpace location-based offerings — just like with cyber cafes.
While LBE may eventually decline, it plays a crucial role in early exposure and normalization. Think of it as XR’s gateway drug.
Smartglasses and the Layered World
Smartphones separated our gaze from the world around us. AR smartglasses promise to layer information back onto our real environments. Yelp ratings appear above storefronts. Navigation arrows float at your feet. Translations hover over foreign signs.
Smartglasses reduce friction between questions and answers. Instead of pulling out a phone, the info just appears. That’s a UX dream — and a core component of long-term XR adoption.
Zuckerberg described Ray-Ban smartglasses as a step toward a world where digital and physical life no longer compete for our attention. Apple, Meta, and Samsung are all building their own versions.
As the design improves and use cases multiply, AR wearables may follow the same arc as smartphones — expensive and niche at first, then indispensable.
All of this depends on invisible infrastructure — specifically low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity like 5G and edge computing. These technologies allow virtual and augmented content to feel instant, responsive, and believable. Without reliable, high-speed wireless infrastructure, many XR experiences break immersion and slow adoption. As global networks improve, they’ll unlock the fluidity that spatial computing depends on.
Fitness in the Metaverse: From Peloton to VR Treadmills
The pandemic showed that people will invest in home fitness tech — especially if it feels interactive and gamified. If a Peloton bike can create community and immersion, why not a VR treadmill?
Omnidirectional treadmills like Virtuix’s Omni One allow you to walk freely in 360 degrees while exploring virtual worlds. It’s fitness, entertainment, and adventure rolled into one. The Omni One starts at \$2,595 (not including the bundled headset), showing the high price tag still facing most consumers.
While adoption faces hurdles — cost, space, learning curve — those same hurdles once applied to home fitness brands like Peloton. As XR fitness evolves, expect more interest from health-conscious users.
Why Nintendo Is Holding Back
Unlike Meta or Apple, Nintendo has not entered the VR arms race. Though Miis and its colorful IPs would be ideal for XR avatars and experiences, the company has stayed cautious.
Much of that stems from the failure of the Virtual Boy in the 1990s, which suffered from eye strain issues, poor design, and low sales. Nintendo prefers to wait until tech is both affordable and polished — as they did with the 3DS and motion controls long after others experimented first.
Nintendo has dabbled — like with its Labo cardboard VR kit — but no dedicated VR headset has been announced. With Switch 2 on the horizon, their focus remains on proven platforms. Still, if they enter later with a polished XR experience, their family-friendly ecosystem could be a major adoption catalyst.
Apple’s Quiet Rebrand of XR
Apple’s 2023 release of the Vision Pro made headlines — not just for the hardware, but for the language. Apple didn’t say “VR headset.” They said “spatial computer.” They avoided “Metaverse.” They focused on clarity, usability, and elegance.
That branding shift matters. Apple isn’t following the hype — it’s building a new frame for immersive tech. Disney jumped on board, announcing exclusive content. Developers lined up to make apps. Consumers saw a premium tool, not a toy.
Just as Apple reframed the smartphone as a personal assistant, it may reposition XR from a niche interest to a daily tool. And by avoiding narrow terms like “headset,” Apple leaves room for future versions — glasses, contacts, implants — to still live under the “Vision” brand.
When the biggest tech brands shift the language, the public follows. And when Apple normalizes something, adoption accelerates.
Where We’re Headed
The Metaverse isn’t a place — it’s a pattern. One where our media becomes more immersive. Our interfaces more intuitive. Our experiences more spatial.
We may not call it the Metaverse forever. Just like “cyberspace” faded and “internet” stuck, we may one day just refer to it as “tech,” “online,” or even just “normal.”
But whether it’s through games, smartglasses, fitness platforms, or spatial computing, the transformation is happening — not all at once, but everywhere.
We’re already stepping into it. One layer at a time.
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