OverwriteXR

Resources and content on everything XR

Pieces of the Metaverse: Logistics and Infrastructure

The Metaverse has become a marketing buzzword after Facebook’s rebrand to Meta back in October 2021. But that doesn’t mean it’s just a buzzword. The internet had several different names at first (information superhighway, cyberspace, etc) which fell out of fashion in the early ’00s while the internet as a whole did not. The underlying technology, policies, and culture of the Metaverse are already being formed. Extended reality for the web has been in development for years.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is a biggie. It includes all the foundational systems that support how the Metaverse is accessed, built, and scaled.

This starts with connectivity technologies like 5G networks and cloud computing, which enable fast, low-latency experiences across devices. Edge computing—processing data closer to the user—helps reduce lag for real-time interactions in VR or AR environments.

Blockchain technology supports decentralization, helping distribute power away from centralized corporations and enabling secure, peer-to-peer interactions and ownership verification.

Artificial intelligence infrastructure is also key. Meta is currently building an AI supercomputer called the “AI Research SuperCluster” (RSC), designed to train massive models that will power smarter, more responsive digital environments.

And while not always visible to the user, data centers, content delivery networks (CDNs), and global server architecture are what will make persistent virtual worlds run 24/7 for millions of simultaneous users.

Ultimately, just like roads, power grids, and broadband enabled the internet age, the Metaverse will require a whole new tier of digital infrastructure to become truly immersive, stable, and scalable.

Standards and Policies

The Internet Protocol (IP) is a set of standards for routing and addressing packets of data across the web. This is how we can send all sorts of digital media to people all over the world as the data travels quickly across various networks. A Metaverse as a network of virtual worlds would also need open standards. There are organizations working on this like Khronos with OpenXR.

Much of the laws surrounding the internet, such as with cyberbullying, will likely carry over to the Metaverse. Decentralization could help with democratization by taking power out of centralized companies and routing decisions to the user base.

User Interface

This is the human connection to the Metaverse. Stuff that will help the consumer become immersed in the Metaverse. This includes consumer hardware such as VR headsets and AR glasses. Apple is expected to make a huge splash in this market soon. Software for spatial computing is also critical for mixed reality applications.

Haptic wearables are also being developed for the Metaverse so users can feel the virtual objects they touch. Companies like bHaptics have already released products. There is also development in footwear and treadmills that help with walking in the Metaverse. Ekto VR has created motorized boots which slide you back to your physical space as you walk through virtual environments.

Edge computing (the deployment of computing and storage resources to devices rather than at data centers like with cloud computing) will help make our experiences in the Metaverse be more responsive. We won’t have to have delays as our data gets sent to a server farm and then back to our device for basic interactions.

Navigating the Metaverse will likely involve an evolved version of today’s internet browser—one that blends spatial interfaces with networked connections. Think of it as walking through Metaverse lobbies, with immersive portals that lead to different worlds or platforms instead of opening links in tabs.

User-Generated Tools (UGC)

Something significant happened when the internet moved from the static read-only days of the web1 internet in the 90s to the web2 internet we have today. Now, there is a large amount of daily user-generated content on the internet. Users can make posts and interact with other users. A Metaverse needs design tools for users to create digital assets for e-commerce and to own for themselves. This is known as UGC (user-generated content), and it’s the foundation for a participatory, evolving digital world.

To support this, the Metaverse must offer intuitive creation tools that go beyond traditional 3D modeling. That includes:

  • In-world creation, where users sculpt objects with their hands like physical materials, often collaboratively in real-time (like an immersive Google Docs for 3D design)
  • Voice commands, letting users say things like “make five more of this object” or “make the arms longer”
  • AI shape recognition, so the system understands what part of a model to edit—including automatic rigging, which adds a skeleton so avatars or characters can move
  • Automatic retopology, which cleans up excess geometry to optimize performance
  • Automatic file conversion, allowing seamless movement of assets across platforms
  • Decentralized ownership options, so users truly own what they create

And above all: friendly UX. Just like social media made content creation intuitive for everyday users, Metaverse creation tools will need to avoid overwhelming terms like “subsurface scattering” and “ambient occlusion.” Simplicity will drive mass adoption.

These tools will allow anyone—from hobbyists to professionals—to build, share, and trade assets in ways that mirror the open creative flow of the modern web.

Economy

The Metaverse will be a big place. On the internet, we often carry our identity (username, profile pic, and bio) to several different platforms. When we’re traveling between virtual worlds many of us will want our avatars to carry our virtual belongings with us. Cryptocurrencies are perfect for quick peer-to-peer payments within a global user-base and NFTs as identity verification, 3D virtual belongings, and land. These two developments in particular are shaping the Metaverse economy.

As creation tools become more accessible, users won’t just build things—they’ll sell them. A thriving marketplace for avatars, environments, and digital goods will rely on seamless ownership, identity verification, and portable assets powered by blockchain technology.

Programming and AI Infrastructure

The Metaverse won’t build itself. It’s the result of human imagination, engineering, and code. While popular languages like JavaScript (used for interactive web elements and web-based VR experiences), C# (commonly used in Unity for scripting game logic and VR interactivity), C++ (the go-to for high-performance visuals in engines like Unreal), and Python (great for prototyping, automation, and some AR/VR applications) are widely used in immersive tech, they may eventually take a backseat to AI-powered creation tools.

We’re already seeing early versions of this with latent space AI—neural networks that can generate complex images, objects, and even 3D environments from natural language prompts. In the future, users might build worlds by simply describing them out loud.