As soon as Mark Zuckerberg announced that he was working on his metaverse, almost everyone started talking about it. This form of communication looks fresh and interesting, and if approached correctly, it may become the main communication tool in the foreseeable future. Surely, this will be interesting!

However, at the moment, the metaverses are still very far from perfect and are quite primitive. Although their prospects are quite huge making it very interesting. Therefore, we propose to figure out what the modern metaverse looks like, what communication formats are offered by the different developers, and what online video chats have to do with it.

Understanding the terminology and history of the development of the metaverses

The Metaverse is a constantly operating VR space in which users interact with each other using the virtual world through their avatars.

You may have seen some parallels with the idea of metaverses in the movies such as Ready Player One, The Matrix, and The Surrogates. In the first movie, the concept of the metaverse is demonstrated most accurately. True, we don’t have such technologies to provide the same graphics and performance at the moment. However, it’s only a matter of time.

As mentioned above, interest in the metaverses intensified after Mark Zuckerberg’s statements. However, the concept itself is far from new. Neal Stevenson first described something like this in his 1992 science fiction novel titled “Avalanche.” This was thirty years ago!

What if we told you that Meta is far from the first company to bring its metaverse to users? This is true!

We are now talking about the free multiplayer game VRChat launched in 2014. Users create their own avatars and literally live in a virtual world, interacting with each other. What’s more, the VRChat development software suite allows users to create their own virtual worlds, further expanding the capabilities of this extraordinary platform.

However, for a number of reasons, it is impossible to call VRChat a metaverse in the classical sense. Also, this platform stimulated the development of other popular VR services aimed at meeting and communicating with users. We want to consider some of the most interesting VRChats:

• Nevermet

This is an app for iOS and Android that uses avatars that you create for yourself instead of your photos. Furthermore, photos are generally prohibited here. It is your avatars that go on virtual dates. This was done for a variety of communication and to enable users not to make decisions based only on the appearance of the interlocutor.

Certainly, Nevermet is not a metaverse, but the application has some elements of a metaverse. We recommend trying it only if this format of communication interests you.

• Flirtual

This application is similar to Nevermet, but differs stylistically and partly technically. Its style is cartoony, reminiscent of anime. Several users like it and those who don’t. On this app, you can meet, chat, and go on dates in VR space through your avatar. One of the advantages is that you have an extensive selection of filters for finding suitable partners.

The developers call their application “fun, convenient, and very secure.” Notably, your photos and personal data are not stored here, which is important in terms of security.

• Planet Theta

This is a dating app in the virtual world using the fictional planet Theta. Particular attention deserves a detailed study of the world. Here, in addition to dating, there is always something to do. You can walk through an enchanted forest, sit in a bar, or even act in a movie right inside the metaverse. This and more can be achieved through your unique avatar.

The developers of Planet Theta created an interesting metaverse with good graphics. Fans of unusual and beautiful virtual worlds will surely like it!

What is the main problem of VR worlds and metaverses, and how to avoid it

The problem is not about the high cost of equipment and the complexity of development, as you might think initially. It is in the specifics of the perception of virtual reality by the human brain. According to a Unity study, about 40% of people experience kinetosis (seasickness or airsickness) in VR. Up to 83% feel motion sickness and dizziness. Many adapt over time, but not all. Virtual reality is not suitable in principle for some people, and nothing can be done about it.

The reason for motion sickness and nausea is that virtual reality tricks the human brain. Our body remains motionless, but the vestibular apparatus transmits signals to the brain making us feel like we are moving in reality. There is a serious dissonance, VR literally breaks our brains and delivers a lot of discomforts.

If you are among those who VR helmet affects a lot or serves as an instrument of torture, and not a tool for entertainment, we advise you to abandon the metaverses in favor of web chats. Nonetheless, instead of a VR space, you can simply communicate online and see the interlocutor instead of his avatar. At the same time, you can get acquainted and communicate from anywhere, because most video chat roulettes have convenient mobile applications. We can recommend the following sites:

• Chatrandom — is an online chat roulette with support for thematic chat rooms for many participants. This is a great option to communicate immediately with many like-minded people.
• LivU — is a text and video chat for smartphones with a built-in message translator. This is suitable for those who like to chat with foreigners.
• CamLike — is a new anonymous video chat roulette app with a wide range of exclusive features, large user base and high-quality moderation. CamLike is available in all popular languages. This is ideal for those who are looking for making friends with new people all over the world. 
• Azar — is a combination of random video chat and instant messenger. It is a convenient means of communication with new people and users from the list of friends.
• LuckyCrush — is a real-time chat roulette with a simple gender filter. A good choice if you need a simple and understandable dating site.

Today, there are a lot of online video chats that look more promising than the metaverses. After all, the latter are still in their infancy and are unlikely to fully open up in the coming years.

Let’s summarize

A modern Internet user has access to a huge variety of dating formats. Also, there will be more in the foreseeable future. Our task is to learn how to find those that meet all the current requirements and offer comfortable communication without “nuances.”

We do not deny that the future lies with metaverses and VR technology. Nonetheless, this future has not yet arrived fully. Hence, it is not worth placing high hopes on the metaverses. It is necessary to follow the development of this topic. After all, there are still a lot of interesting things ahead of us.