Virtual reality and Metaverse are the significant topics of today’s technology. These two notions are frequently talked about by individuals, and people want to reach these technologies to have fun, learn about the field, and so on. Although almost every person talks about these notions, a lot of people do not know the differences between virtual reality and Metaverse. Now, we would like to inform you about the differences between virtual reality and Metaverse!

Before mentioning the differences between virtual reality and Metaverse, we should explain these two notions briefly.

What is virtual reality?

Virtual reality is a kind of usage of computer technology that can create 3D simulated environments. With virtual reality, individuals can discover three-dimensional environments, and they can develop their experience with technology. For example, we can watch movies or series with the help of our computer or smart phone screen, but the circumstance is not a big experience. On the other hand, virtual reality is immersing users in various 3D worlds, so individuals can have fun, travel, and so on in a good way.

Generally, virtual reality is utilized in commerce, entertainment, science, education, and manufacturing. We can increase the number of fields in which virtual reality is used for certain!

If you saw VR headsets, motion controllers, wired gloves, 3D mouse, optical trackers, and smelling devices in the past, we can say that you met virtual reality! The devices are the most used hardware in virtual reality.

What is Metaverse?

Metaverse is supported by artificial intelligence, and it is an open and shared virtual environment in which users can communicate with each other, participate in various events, like concerts and theatres, and play games.

People can use their smart phones and computers to access Metaverse. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies can also be utilized for accessing Metaverse. Hence, as you can understand from the sentence, virtual reality and Metaverse are not the same!

Now, we would like to mention the exact differences between virtual reality and Metaverse to improve your knowledge about these significant notions.

Gaining experience is limited in virtual reality

As we mentioned above, some hardware is used for virtual reality, and people can deal with virtual reality by using the hardware. For instance, a person can conquer his/her aviophobia by using a VR headset because the device can present a 3D airplane environment to the person, and then, the person can get an amazing experience of airplanes. However, the experience of the person will be about only airplanes, so we can say that virtual reality offers limited experience.

On the other hand, Metaverse is a really big environment, so gaining experience is not limited in Metaverse. In other words, individuals can deal with various activities, such as games, movies, and social events, in Metaverse. At that point, we can think about the above example of virtual reality. We said that a person deals with airplanes with the help of a VR headset, and the hardware is showing only a 3D virtual airplane environment. In contrast with virtual reality, Metaverse does not show only a specific circumstance, like the airplane environment. People can reach different worlds with the help of Metaverse, and they can gain various experiences on the platform without using VR systems! Computers and smart phones are enough to reach the unlimited virtual platform.

Something can be owned in Metaverse

We can talk about the ownership in Metaverse and virtual reality to explain the differences between these two notions concretely. Since the concept of Metaverse was introduced, people have been buying fields or other objects in this world. Individuals develop their hope of possession with the help of Metaverse, but they cannot do that in virtual reality. In other words, when people use virtual reality, they only have VR technologies, like VR headsets, while the content in the virtual reality experiences belongs to the brand(s). We can say that people have only the equipment of virtual reality when they deal with the technology.  

If we consider Metaverse, we can realize that the situation is different from virtual reality. Users can have virtual assets and experiences in Metaverse, and the notion of ownership is very important in the virtual platform. For example, people can impropriate NFTs or cryptocurrencies, and then, they can use their digital assets in Metaverse. Furthermore, they can buy various virtual items in Metaverse to play games, participate in events, and communicate with other individuals. Hence, Metaverse provides users with proprietary rights while virtual reality does not.

The durableness of Metaverse is better than VR

Virtual reality and Metaverse require the usage of some devices, like computers or VR headsets, and the devices change the durableness of these two environments. If a person does not open his/her computer to access Metaverse, only the person misses the virtual environment. In other words, whether people reach Metaverse or not, it is always in place and waiting for its participants. At that point, you think that you have your avatar in Metaverse, but you are not active in the virtual world. Although you are not dealing with Metaverse, your avatar can be found in Metaverse. On the other hand, if individuals switch off the system of virtual reality, the 3D virtual simulated environment disappears. As you understand from the explanation, Metaverse shows persistence while virtual reality does not.

The technologies of virtual reality are limited

As we mentioned above, people can access virtual reality with the help of VR systems, so necessary hardware should be considered for dealing with the technology. Hence, the technologies of virtual reality are limited. On the other hand, Metaverse involves a lot of technologies, like blockchain technology, augmented reality, crypto, and so on. Unlike virtual reality, individuals can deal with different technologies in Metaverse, and they do not have to focus on specific technologies.

Conclusion

In summary, Metaverse and virtual reality are not the same things, and Metaverse is a bigger world than virtual reality. If you would like to communicate with people and deal with interesting activities, you can consider participating in Metaverse. Although Metaverse has more benefits, you should not underestimate virtual reality because the technology improves various fields, such as education and entertainment! Therefore, you can focus on both VR systems and Metaverse.