Re-defining the metaverse: work, play and everyday living take precedence as the space continues to grow

Lianhe Zaobao’s feature argues that the metaverse did not die when the hype did. Over the three years since the speculators left, developers kept working, the technology matured, and more interesting and practical use cases appeared.

The piece dates the peak to 28 October 2021, when Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook to Meta and the term became the technology conversation. Three years on, it is barely mentioned, and some declare the metaverse a bubble that briefly bloomed.

Zhao Shengdong, professor at City University of Hong Kong’s School of Creative Media and Department of Computer Science, disagrees: the field has made real progress, AI is accelerating it, and the metaverse will become part of daily life — it simply is not a hot topic right now.

The industry view in the feature is that mobile-native, lightweight metaverse platforms are what bring the technology into everyday play, work and social life, tying the virtual and the real together with fast, seamless interaction.