You've probably noticed: The term "metaverse" is everywhere. Last year, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta, a not-so-subtle nod to the social network's ambition to be a prime mover in the next step on the internet. Microsoft's AltspaceVR stakes a claim to being a metaverse, and the software giant just announced it would buy ActivisionBlizzard for $69 billion, part of an expansion into virtual worlds. Rec Room and world-building games, like Roblox and Minecraft, all get rolled into discussions of what the metaverse is. The metaverse isn't a new idea, and the term has been in circulation for decades. The technological concepts behind it – virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D computing – are older still. The current boom in interest is just the most recent peak in a years-long push to make these advances useful to everybody. What's changed is a shift in understanding, a conviction that the internet needs to be reimagined. How far-reaching those changes end up being is anyone's guess. After all, the road map for the metaverse is half-paved, and it's still not entirely clear that it'll be completed as promised.  What's for sure is that if there's money to be made, big companies will be involved. In addition to Meta and Microsoft, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Valve, Epic, HTC, and Apple are all dreaming up new ways of connecting online. It's unclear whether these projects will be standalone or interconnected. What is clear is that you'll be hearing more about the metaverse in the years ahead.  Unsatisfyingly, the metaverse is a squishy concept. An evolution of the internet, it's often described as online spaces where people can socialize, work and play as avatars. Those spaces are shared and always available; they don't disappear when you've finished using them, like a Zoom call. The description is so broad that many people say the metaverse already exists in the digital worlds of Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite, which allow players to gather in 2D environments. Second Life, a social and gaming platform that's been around for nearly two decades, is a metaverse and is being revamped.  Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and other proponents see a deeper, more immersive experience that marries a host of existing technologies, such as VR headsets, mobile devices, personal computers, and cloud-connected servers. These futurists envision the development of a 3D virtual world, one that you'll optionally enter while wearing a headset or AR glasses. There's no agreement on whether you'll need VR or AR to get to the metaverse, but they pretty much go hand in hand, suggesting that these headsets will be compatible with whatever's on offer. A new wave of VR and mixed reality headsets are expected to be announced this year from Meta, Sony, Apple, and maybe others. That remains to be seen. No standards for the metaverse exist, and lots of companies are clamoring to lay the groundwork others will follow. Facebook, Microsoft, Sony, Epic Games, and a bunch of smaller companies are all working on projects with the hopes of grabbing a first-mover advantage. It's unclear whether one company's VR headset will be compatible with another company's expansive multiplayer world or cloud-based graphics. Most companies promise a metaverse that allows other companies in. But that requires them to agree on how they work together. Meta, which plans to spend $10 billion on its metaverse projects this year, says interoperability is crucial. If you have an avatar on Facebook, you should be able to use it on a Microsoft platform. That sounds pretty straightforward and suggests a single metaverse. But we're far from that vision. Try moving a skin or dance move you've bought to personalize your Fortnite avatar to another platform and you'll quickly find those add-ons are stuck in the battle royale game. For more in-depth study visit OUR FORUM.