Virtual reality technologies have gained wide popularity with the development of the metaverses.. Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and many others spoke about the importance of VR solutions. Thanks to virtual reality, users can travel around the world, watch movies and performances in digital cinemas and theaters, and study at leading universities. The BeInCrypto editors talked about the importance of VR and the prospects for its development in Russia with Maxim Nikonov, director of the RosVR virtual reality studio.
On the development and application of VR technologies in Russia
Today, virtual reality technologies are practically not developed in Russia.. If we talk about the physical production of virtual reality devices for a wide range of users, then, by and large, it simply does not exist.. There are a few Russian companies that create their own physical VR helmets as part of the production, for example, of game attractions or simulators on orders from large corporations or the state.. But it is obvious that Russia does not have its own VR helmet as a product that can compete with the main world leaders today – Pico 4 and Meta Quest Pro.
If we talk about software products, then the situation here is better.. In Russia, there are different teams of developers who like the VR industry and who are able to make applications for VR helmets of various levels of complexity.. These are educational projects, simulations, games. This is so, because creating such a team and learning how to work with programming and 3D graphics is easier than creating hardware, processors, screens, and setting up complex high-tech production.
“In Russia, VR technologies are mainly used for corporate training, presentations at major exhibitions and for advertising purposes.. I.e. clients are either large companies or the state. There are some private enterprise initiatives, but they are not significant. If we talk about VR cinema and video projects, then they exist in the field of advertising, museum and tourism,” says Maxim Nikonov.
Summing up, VR technologies are almost not developing in Russia. I.e. there are no new breakthrough technological devices and are not being brought to the market. Everyone uses Chinese or American devices. Software unique world-class products are also practically not created.. Developer studios make projects for applied tasks of large companies or the state and do not develop projects that would open up something radically new for people all over the world, for example, their own metaverses or games with unique mechanics.
On the impact of VR on the metaverse
As Maxim Nikonov says, there is an important point in the question itself that needs to be understood. It separates the concepts of the metaverse and VR technologies. Some people just think that VR technology is the metaverse, but it's not.. Meta means “beyond”, “above”. For example, metaphysics means that we are talking about something that lies beyond the physical world.
“When we talk about the metaverse, we need to understand that we are talking about a universe beyond our real universe.. In this sense, social networks are now already one of the types of metauniverses, because this is a world that exists in digital form, and in this world we can live (communicate, work, have fun, create),” the expert said.
When VR technologies appeared, they brought new opportunities to a variety of areas – in education, art and science, and of course in their impact on the metaverses, first of all, in a very condensed way – the effect of immersion. They bring to the metaverses the ability to move in virtual space and interact with it on a qualitatively new level – just like we do it in the real world.. VR technologies increase the quality of the metaverses and their perception as a naturalistic parallel world, and not an abstract one, such as social networks.
The basis of the modern concept of the metaverse is a combination of different technologies. This is mainly VR and AR, but also blockchain and information technology.
About the price of VR equipment in Russia
A great modern phone costs about 100,000 rubles. An advanced laptop can cost 200,000 rubles. Both the phone and the computer are our portals to the world of the Internet (in fact, the already existing metaverse) and devices through which we make our lives better.. We have been using these devices every day for years and it is often difficult to imagine our life without them.
VR glasses are a device as complex and important as a laptop, which gives us access to the universes of a new level.. Therefore, in my opinion, the prices for VR devices should be comparable to the prices for, for example, laptops of different levels of complexity.
“Today the most popular VR glasses are oculus quest 2. Its price on the market is from $300, on average there are configurations of about 32 thousand. rubles. This is quite an affordable price for such an interesting device. I believe that the metaverses should be visited with the help of VR equipment – that's the whole point. That's what they're made for.. We don’t visit the Internet from a wristwatch – it’s more convenient for us to do it from a good phone or computer,” commented Maxim Nikonov.
On the impact of VR on the development of NFTs
VR technologies influence the development of NFT directly. NFT is a guarantee of the authenticity of a digital product. In metauniverses, in virtual digital worlds, people will implement economic relations – create, store, change, sell and buy digital products and their copies, and this requires NFT technology. As the metaverses and relationships within them develop, it will become clear that something needs to be added and improved, and NFT technologies will inevitably develop as well.
About VR development trends in 2023
Maxim Nikonov believes that trends are not the main thing. They are forgotten as quickly as they appear.. The main thing is ideas that can exist for a long time. Ideas are the engine of our life. The main idea of metauniverses is to create a space of possibilities that a person will have more there than in real life.. For them, a person will come there – to live there (entertain, work, study, explore). To do this now, the main thing is to work on the visual quality of the metaverses, their functionality and, therefore, improve VR devices and the technological base in general.
There is no need to be afraid that by creating a virtual world “more interesting” than the real one, we are making a world in which everyone will disappear. People are attached to physical reality and so far they will not get away from it. And what could be more interesting than the real physical world? Already, there are many imaginary worlds around us and in our head – in TV shows, movies, games and social networks. It only makes our life more diverse, develops our imagination.
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