Facebook metaverse: A first glimpse at Mark Zuckerberg's virtual reality

The company announced plans to hire 10,000 staff in Europe to work on the metaverse, its plans for a futuristic new computing platform.

The Metaverse is essentially the internet in 3-D, an online world in which people can meet, play and work virtually, often entering this world using virtual reality headsets.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has described it as being a place where rather than just viewing content “you are in it” and as an early example has used the idea of people watching a concert video on their smartphone but then jumping in it using the metaverse to create the sense they are really there.

Anyone who has seen films such as Ready Player One will have a sense of what this could look like.

The metaverse is an online world in which people can meet, play and work virtually. (PA)

First look at Facebook’s metaverse

The social media platform, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, unveiled the new plans on a livestream from Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook account.

The video offered a first glimpse of what Zuckerberg’s vision looks like.

It shows the Facebook owner socialising with virtual versions of his friends in space while being able to call friends via the app’s messenger service.

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Virtual street art can be viewed in the new virtual reality with real live videos merging with virtual experiences such as underwater surrounded by fish.

But it seems that is just the beginning with Zuckerberg teasing more by saying: “Alright, so that’s a glimpse of a few ways that we will be able to get together and socialise in the metaverse.”

Here’s our first sneak peek at Facebook’s so called metaverse, a virtual place where you can hang out with friends and so much more. pic.twitter.com/Ld5AY0WIz3

— Nathie (@NathieVR) October 28, 2021

How long before I can use Facebook’s metaverse?

There is a while to wait yet.

Facebook has insisted it is only at the “start of the journey” to build the metaverse, and Mr Zuckerberg has spoken about transforming the company into a metaverse-based one in five years.

The plans to hire thousands of new engineers and other staff in Europe to help build the platform shows Facebook is serious about the idea, but for now it still remains several years away from reality.