During the previous cryptocurrency bull market, the Metaverse gained significant attention from both the crypto community and venture capital firms. Companies like Meta and Apple have ventured into the Metaverse, but they have adopted divergent approaches. Meta, formerly Facebook, has placed its primary focus on virtual reality (VR), launching new smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban. In contrast, Apple has embraced spatial computing, emphasizing augmented reality (AR) by releasing its AR glasses earlier this year.
Beniamin Mincu, the CEO of the blockchain-based Metaverse platform MultiversX, opines that Apple's spatial computing approach aligns better with the Metaverse concept than Meta's VR-centric approach. Mincu suggests that Meta's focus on VR may not be intuitive, while Apple's spatial computing approach offers a more intuitive experience through AR glasses. He highlights that Meta's glasses concentrate on a particular virtual world, whereas the essence of the Metaverse lies in the interactive experiences within that virtual world. Meta's glasses cater to a single use case, whereas Apple's spatial computing provides a versatile interface, viewing lenses as spatial computing devices that transform the conversation.
Spatial computing encompasses processes and tools for capturing, processing, and interacting with three-dimensional data. It encompasses various technologies such as IoT, digital twins, ambient computing, AR, VR, artificial intelligence, and physical control. Spatial computing is a form of human-machine interaction where devices retain and manipulate representations of real objects and spaces, offering a broad array of applications and interactions for users in the Metaverse. Apple's spatial computing approach has the potential to drive the Metaverse forward by offering a more intuitive and versatile experience for users, according to Mincu.
