META NARRATIVE

How might gaming level up from Zuckerberg's photorealistic VRChat?

- PHIL IWANIUK

MARK ZUCKERBERG FROM IS SEATED ACROSS FROM PODCASTER Lex Fridman. In a dark space where only their faces and shoulders are visible, the two engage in a stilted, slightly hallucinogenic-feeling chat, the two gazing in wonder at each other like stoned teenagers. Except they're not really sharing that space.

In reality they're sitting with VR headsets on in different states in the USA, using Meta's eponymous Metaverse to show off the company's new photorealistic avatars.

For gamers there are two takeaways from Zuckerberg's in-Metaverse appearance on Lex Fridman's podcast. One: you could not possibly find two less expressive human beings on the planet to show off this technology that's all about capturing expressive non-verbal communication. Seriously, journalist Riaan Cruywagen and illusionist David Blaine would come across like two kids who've found a can of Monster by comparison. In the wrestling world, you'd call it a no sell.

No cap

There's reason to believe Meta's vision for the future is now being enacted with considerably less gusto than it once was. Following the 2021 Metaverse reveal and the following financials call, the company witnessed $251 billion [R4.7 trillion] of its market cap evaporate in a single day. The artist formerly known as Facebook had been spending very liberally, investors learned, with little in the way of returns... you know, because nobody cares about the metaverse except big tech. Will we see home scanning tech soon, then? Perhaps.