Consumers could start to see technology that connects the virtual and physical worlds in a few years, according to Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc (FB.O), which provided more information on its vision for the establishment of the metaverse.
A person wearing a mixed reality (MR) headset might be able to utilize a real-world object to cause a virtual-world reaction, such as hitting a video game character with a real-world baseball bat.
It’s one of three different sorts of metaverse-related extended reality technology. With mobile applications like Pokemon Go, augmented reality exists, but players cannot influence the digital environment with a physical object. Virtual reality headsets, such as Meta’s Oculus, immerse users in a fully virtual world, allowing them to interact with it.
According to an agency executive who attended the meeting, Meta made the comments during a Zoom session with ad agencies on Thursday, which was intended to help advertisers better grasp the metaverse. It was Meta’s first roundtable conversation regarding the metaverse with agencies.
The fact that mixed reality is only a few years away adds to the timescale for constructing the metaverse, a futuristic vision of a network of virtual worlds that can be accessed from various devices that Meta has estimated could take a decade to complete.
There are several mixed reality headsets on the market, but they are not yet aimed at the general public. The Microsoft (MSFT.O) HoloLens 2 was released in 2019 and costs $3,500. It is designed for usage in the workplace.
In October, Meta announced Project Cambria, a mixed reality headgear with face and eye-tracking that will be unveiled at its annual Connect conference. This year, the headset is scheduled to be released.
In the meantime, Meta continued to advise advertisers to experiment with augmented reality ads, such as photo and video filters that overlay digital images onto the real world, the ad agency executive said. The comments reiterated Meta’s pitch at ad industry conferences.
Meta said brands could partner with content creators on AR ads or use the technology for virtual clothing try-on.
The roundtable with agencies lacked detail on what ad formats could be built for the metaverse, or what specific controls would be in place to prevent brands from appearing next to unsuitable content or actions, the agency executive said.
Advertisers are also looking for detail on how the effectiveness of ads in the metaverse will be measured and will be asking “what did I get for my money?” the executive said.
