In 2016, all the talk was on how virtual reality was going to be the next big platform, set to shake up every industry. This never came to fruition, though, and the technology is still far from the mainstream. Instead, live streaming took off and revolutionized social media and entertainment in many ways. It has cemented itself as a hugely important platform, and now the much-hyped upcoming VR metaverses will have to work out how they can integrate it.
Live Streaming Has Been a Recent Tech Revolution
Live streaming has been on the scene for more than a decade now, but has only been at the forefront of popular culture for the last five years. Twitch and the online casino industry put the technology into place first and started to popularize it, but it was Facebook’s introduction of the feature in 2017 that shot it to worldwide notoriety. Since then, more people have flocked to platforms where live streaming was already in place, and this has helped push forward the development of the technology.
The online casino sector is a good example of this. Since live streaming blew up, it has become an essential element of the sites. Indeed, after slots, live casino is the most popular category. Some players even search for the best live dealer casinos when they are choosing where to play. This has led to a side sector related to online casinos where aggregator sites recommend the best options to players. They’re listed based on their bonuses, range of games available, and customer service. This highlights how live streaming is a primary focus in the entertainment industry. It shows the gulf between this technology and VR, which is yet to make an impact.
Metaverse Could Make People Feel as if They Are at Events
The idea of live streaming is to bring people closer to the action and make them feel as if they are there. It has become more immersive in recent years, but users are still aware that they are viewing things through a screen. VR could help to cut this detachment out, and could make people feel as if they are actually at the place where the live streaming is occurring.
The metaverse has been touted as a VR world in which users can do everything from work to socialize. But some people won’t be content with just being a digitally rendered avatar surrounded by other people that have been turned into characters. The success of live streaming has proven that many people want realism, and it’s something that metaverse creators will need to consider. The question is, will VR be able to put people in live streaming scenarios, or will they continue to watch VR streams within this digital world?
In the early days of the metaverse, the technology is likely to be basic compared to what will follow in the next few decades. Incorporating live streaming will be a key aim for developers, though, as this technology is impossible to ignore.
