What’s the basic difference between Metaverse and Multiverse?

The world we live in is constantly changing as we witness new and innovative technological inventions taking place day by day in the digital and communication space. Many years ago, global communication for humans was challenging. However, with the arrival of the web, the world of communication changed with e-mail and social media, which simplified our mode of communication.

So if you think that the rise of technology is only limited to transforming the way we communicate with each other and access information, you need to take a closer look at the concepts of the Metaverse and Multiverse. Can you imagine the web and internet as a virtual world rather than a collection of pages on your PC screens? The concept of Metaverse offers the same experience, and the concept of Multiverse is also a notable highlight in the virtual world. To understand Metaverse and Multiverse better and the key differences that set them apart, let us dive deep into the conversation of Metaverse vs. Multiverse in this Insight.

• What is Metaverse?
• What is Multiverse?
• What is the basic difference between Metaverse and Multiverse?
• Are Metaverse and Multiverse really divergent?

What is Metaverse?

The term Metaverse was first coined in 1993 by American author Neal Stephenson in his science fiction novel, ‘Snow Crash.’ Metaverse is the virtual space where people can interact with digital objects. To enter the Metaverse, people have to create their digital avatars, which humans control during the interaction in Metaverse. The Metaverse is often termed as the fancier successor of the internet. The Metaverse is an expansive network of persistent, real-time rendered 3d worlds and simulations. It can be experienced synchronously by an unlimited number of users, each having an individual sense of presence in the Metaverse. So if we simplify the Metaverse even further, it is a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you. It will be a virtual space where a user can do everything such as going for a walk, listening to music, playing video games, visiting NFT museums and much more.

A decentralized Metaverse is a Metaverse that incorporates blockchain into its underlying technology and blockchain-powered assets, such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies. While the Metaverse like environment has existed in massively multiplayer online games, incorporating blockchain, smart contracts, NFTS, crypto and VR into the sector has started to demonstrate the real-world value of assets, interactions and experiences earned in the digital arena.

What is Multiverse?

Multiverse is also a digital space where users can interact with each other, but one basic distinction is that they can perform only one task at any particular time. For example, a game that has been developed using artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality. Such a game gives us a sense of the 3D world around us, but you can use the platform only to play the game. So in Multiverse, while playing the game, you can check the marketplace of the game, but simultaneously it won’t be possible to enter an NFT museum. In simple words, Multiverse can be defined as a set of different virtual universes, and you can switch in between the universes to do different things. So multiverse projects, such as game platforms, are ideal virtual worlds within the framework of their ecosystems, but they lack convergence with the real world. Furthermore, their interconnectivity with other multiverse projects is limited because they are mostly isolated ecosystems.

What’s the basic difference between Metaverse and Multiverse?

After getting a basic idea of what a Metaverse and Multiverse is, let us now explore the distinctive features that make them differ from one another. The Metaverse is a budding concept that suggests that we might have a related digital world in the future. The users of Metaverse can seamlessly transition between two different areas of Metaverse based on their necessities. The Multiverse presents an extra ecosystem of digital worlds that is disconnected. The different digital ecosystems within the Multiverse don’t allow users to switch seamlessly between digital worlds.

One of the most talked-about misconceptions relating to the distinction between the Metaverse and Multiverse is that each represents several ecosystems. In the case of Multiverse, a user can discover an infinite number of ecosystems that are not related to each other. The Metaverse offers a digital home ground, the homeplace for users to change between different experiences, video games and occasions successfully. As a user, you can enter the Metaverse simply with your desktop or augmented actuality units comparable to Google Glass and enjoy unified experiences. To understand the variations between the Metaverse and Multiverse more effectually, let us take a look at the key difference between the Metaverse and the Multiverse:

Are Metaverse and Multiverse really divergent?

After clearly understanding the difference between Metaverse and Multiverse, we realize that the typical difference is that the Multiverse is viewed as a pool of multiple virtual worlds. In contrast, the Metaverse is viewed as a holistic common shared place where all digital actions can occur. But, can Metaverse truly be a single universe?

Well, Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse tries to be that, but the point is that such a metaverse will end up being a centralized metaverse; Metaverse projected through a unified platform is likely to have a unified central governing force at its core. And this is not what the proprietors of Blockchain and Web 3.0 want. They aim for a decentralized Metaverse that is truly permission-less and democratic, offering complete user sovereignty and transparency.

A centralized Metaverse is one line of thinking. But, to work for everyone, the Metaverse must be decentralized. But one universe approach or having a single universe of decentralized Metaverse can not accommodate the multiple metaverse projects that exist today or in-making. So what is the way out here?

Here, we need to adopt the multiverse approach to metaverse development to accommodate multiple decentralized metaverse projects in creating a unified experience. The multiverse approach aligns with the idea of democracy, decentralization and unified experience.

Thus, we can say that multiverse is a way to building decentralized metaverse projects that combines to create the idea of an unified decentralized metaverse.

Why adopt multiverse approach to Metaverse development?

The multiverse approach to Metaverse development allows multiple creators to contribute. With this approach, decentralized Metaverse projects that exist today or will emerge in the future can be designed and developed as individual projects like multiverse worlds. However, these multiverse worlds should co-exist and be interoperable to achieve only a unified metaverse experience.

Although in their infancy, platforms like Decentraland, Axiifiniety, VRChat, are designed and developed as Metaverse projects. Each project has different themes offering different virtual experiences, such as gaming, real estate, social networking, etc. Can all of these projects merge into one platform in the future? Possibilities are thin. They may co-perform but are less likely to become one single platform as they are developed to deliver different experiences. Multiple creators will always create multiple Metaverse projects.

Another thing to consider is that we already have multiple blockchain technologies, and more will emerge in the future. A system that runs on the Algorand blockchain has a low chance of its NFTs working in an Ethereum environment. That is why a multiverse approach to metaverse development is more sustainable, as it will allow the diversity in blockchains and creators’ concepts and digital experiences to co-exist and become connected.

Metaverse projects need to be developed as interoperable multiverses

Multiverse projects are confined to their ecosystems, without any particular order for information flow outside their ecosystem. It needs to be changed within the context of decentralized Metaverse. The development of Metaverse projects needs a multiverse approach from the very beginning to ensure that the projects are designed and developed to co-exist with other projects. But, there should be a non-disputed focus on making the multiple metaverse projects interoperable. Only then will it offer true value to the users.

For decentralized Metaverse projects to provide a unified experience, it is crucial to focus on the overlapping of these Metaverse projects for enabling seamless interoperability. Avatars, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, tokens, or any digital assets of one metaverse project should exist in another project, and the transfer of value from one project to another should be viable.

Thereby, we can say that instead of having one common platform, we will have multiple decentralized metaverse projects, each developed with a multiverse approach, so that they can be programmed to co-exist. Here, we are talking about multi-metaverse, where each metaverse project is open and secure with pockets of openness and connectivity. There will also be fewer connected areas but have a high level of moderation and security.

Multi-metaverse development will allow multiple creators to create new projects on decentralized technologies like blockchain and introduce new kinds of virtual experiences that are fully decentralized and serve user interests rather than serving the interest of one entity.

In conclusion, we can visualize a decentralized Metaverse as a network of multiple projects developed with the multiverse approach but truly interoperable and capable of communicating with each other.

EndNote

As they are known in the context of video games, the multiverse projects are individual digital ecosystems that do not allow people to seamlessly transit from one platform to another. As a result, it lacks the concept of a unified experience. While Metaverse is all about creating a unified digital world in which people can engage in various digital activities such as virtual events, gaming, social networking, remote working etc. Metaverse’s primary goal is to achieve vivid realism in digital experiences.

The Metaverse is complex, and it is hard to anticipate what it will become. However, if Web 3.0 is the internet we seek, the Metaverse should be built as a decentralized ecosystem rather than a centralized platform. But, even as a decentralized ecosystem, Metaverse should also deliver a unified experience. Thus, a multiverse approach is more effective in maintaining the essence of decentralization while keeping up the charm of a unified experience.

We are happy to partner with you if you are looking to optimize or build a decentralized Blockchain Metaverse project. Please connect with our metaverse experts to discuss more.