I've spent the last two days on this blog slagging off the metaverse and VR for being extremely overhyped technologies. I've tried VR. I think it's cool. I think everyone who hasn't tried good VR will be absolutely shocked at how convincing it is. I'm just not convinced it solves enough problems to ever get promoted beyond novelty status.
That being said, there's one use case I know will come at some point that I think will be absolutely magical to use when it launches.
We document moments today by taking photos and videos with our iPhones. The quality of these photos and videos has gotten better and better every year, but we're still constrained by the same rectangle-shaped frame we've had since the invention of photography. It gets the job done; rectangular photos and videos have been the norm for so long that I don't think anyone is overtly bothered by it. But we don't experience moments in rectangle form. We experience moments in three-dimensions and in a 360° view around us, not in a 4032 × 3024 pixel array.
Imagine the day when one of these startups working on 360° video fully masters the trick and invents a device that can easily record 360° video from your perspective in a form factor no more intrusive or cumbersome than your iPhone. Imagine using that to record all of the most precious moments of your life — hearing your favorite song performed live by your favorite artist, watching the sunset over the Pacific on the final night of your honeymoon, watching your daughter open a present on Christmas Eve that she's been desperately writing to Santa about. And now imagine being able to play that 360° video through a VR headset so you can physically relive that moment in 3D space whenever you want.
It's time travel, for all intents and purposes.
This I could see people getting behind. This solves a problem: not being able to relive events from your past. If this was the only thing VR and the metaverse ever got used for, the product would be an abject failure, as this is still a pretty minor use case all things considered. But gosh, won't it be incredible when this happen? Won't it be ridiculously cool in your future to relive the fondest moments of your life in full 360° virtual-reality glory?
I'll take this over a game of poker in space with a talking visor-wearing robot any day, Zuckerberg. Make this happen.
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