Meta’s next-level Metaverse push has progressed a little further this week, with the addition of two new features that will help simplify the creation of 3D environments, and ultimately allow you to bring entire VR experiences to life.
In addition to the launch of the updated Segment Anything (SAM) processincluded SAM 3Dwhich can render digital 3D objects from still image images, Meta also has comprehensive access to the Hyperscape recording processthat can simulate real environments in a VR environment.
Hyperscape was originally featured at Meta’s Connect event in September and allows users to do this Capture a physical space by scanning it with the cameras built into the Quest headset. You can then transform that scene into an immersive, digital replica that your meta-avatar can interact with, via VR or on the Horizon mobile app.
And now you can invite other people to join you in these 3D spaces through their avatars.
As explained by Meta:
“Once your world is ready, hit the ‘invite’ or ‘share’ button to generate a link that you can share via Chats or any other messaging platform, including via WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. Up to eight people can currently join the same instance of the world, and we hope to expand that to more people in the future.”
So now anyone with a newer model Quest headset or the Horizon app can log into your recreated 3D environment, which can be of any scene or place you can scan into.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, for example, has done that scanned into a UFC octagon (because of course he has):
So now you can easily create digital recreations of real-world environments, which can form the basis for an ever-expanding range of VR experiences.
And SAM 3D also lets you add 3D objects, while Meta’s Horizon Worlds Desktop Editor also lets you generate 3D environments using conversational AI, adding another element to the process.
So you can see how this will contribute to wider acceptance of Meta’s metaverse experience. The company’s Metaverse push has seemingly been put on the back burner, after negative reactions to Meta’s early VR models, but Meta is still building the next phase of digital connection, despite shifting focus to AI of late.
That’s because Meta had already developed similar generative AI models to what OpenAI and others have popularized, but hadn’t labeled them as “AI” because these aren’t actually intelligent tools, but machine learning models, which Meta has been developing for more than a decade.
As such, Meta shifted gears to focus on AI, as a means to maximize its opportunities and ward off potential competition. But at the same time, these new generative AI models respond to the bigger upside picture, enabling more types of creation and interaction within VR environments.
Of course, this all depends on the adoption of VR headsets, and it still feels like we’re waiting for a killer VR application that will drive mass adoption. Meta’s VR experiences are growing, but so far there’s nothing you need to experience in VR, there are no games or apps or social elements that change the game, or elevate the experience enough to justify the cost for more consumers.
Over time, more people will buy Meta Quest units, but until there’s a truly stunning, hype-generating experience, I suspect many potential buyers will wait, knowing that the next Quest model is just around the corner, and they don’t have to do that yet.
But these tools will contribute to the bigger picture here, and by allowing users to create their own VR environments and experiences, Meta is expanding its capabilities to facilitate the development of that next level that will make VR a bigger consideration.
It may not happen for a while, but it’s coming, and Meta is right to keep the focus on VR interaction as the next level of online activity. Because children who have grown up interacting through digital avatars in game worlds will become more comfortable with this experience, and that will be where the true metaverse possibility takes shape.
#Meta #moves #metaverse #creative #tools