Microsoft, Meta, Sony and HTC are some of the companies that have already launched virtual or augmented reality devices to access and interact with digital worlds, known as the metaverse, which presents opportunities for society as a whole, and for Spain in particular, especially if its development has a business-oriented vision.

The metaverse is still under construction, but it is already creating opportunities in both the public and private sector, where administrations and companies see young people as the users and consumers of the future, and who are already guiding the development of new ways of interacting with services they offer.

This is one of the issues that has been discussed this Thursday in the meeting titled 'Metaverse, how will it impact our education, health and new economies', organised in Madrid by NTT DATA in collaboration with Europa Press, and moderated by the editor in chief of new technologies at Europa Press, Sergio Alonso.

The metaverse is expected to be the next chapter of the Internet. According to the consultant Gartner, by 2026, 25% of the population will consume at least one hour per day in the metaverse. This is made possible thanks to technologies such as virtual, augmented or mixed reality, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.

Currently, extended reality, which combines the three mentioned above, is the one that is growing the most at 45% per year, a figure that "allows us to understand the level of speed and adoption of immersive environments," said Antonio Quirós.

However, what is called the metaverse today, "is still in an incipient stage," said María Jesús Villamediana, an idea that all participants agree on. Ignacio Romero compares it to the beginning of the Internet in the 1990s: "No one knew what the Internet was going to bring us, with the difference that now the speed is exponential, it is not the same as 30 years ago. It is something that is real, that will come and that will change many ways of doing things," especially at the societal level.

Although the metaverse is taking its first steps, initiatives and use cases are already being developed with the technologies that support it. Villamediana has cited its application in healthcare, using the example of a recent knee surgery where the doctor had a better view of the injury through the virtual helmet, which also facilitated manoeuvring with the surgical tools.

David Cervera, in turn, pointed out its application in education, where in the case of the Community of Madrid, it has been implemented in some families of Vocational Training because of its immersive capacity and ability to allow experimentation.

However, its implementation poses problems for the elderly due to the well-known digital divide. In this sense, Cervera argued that "the metaverse is coming so that, in general, we have better life experiences." Therefore, "we have to ensure that it is available for the elderly, to generate opportunities that they could not have otherwise."

On the other hand, young people are perceived as the ones driving the adoption and development of new technologies, currently very linked to video games, where companies such as Sony, Meta or HTC already have visors that help them immerse themselves in digital worlds, although it is true that platforms like Roblox do not require more hardware than a computer, video game console, or mobile phone.

Therefore, as Madrid In Game's director explains, "large companies see video games as a way of approaching young people". Especially since "young people are the ones who will consume services and they will do so electronically."

To immerse oneself in a virtual world, one first needs specific hardware, a virtual, augmented, or mixed reality headset that allows interaction with digital elements. But it is the element that is slowing down the adoption of the metaverse.

Although the latest models to hit the market present improvements in image reproduction and design, which reduce dizziness and fatigue in prolonged use, price - around 500 euros - and ease of use are still the main obstacles to their adoption, as all four speakers agree.

"It needs to evolve so that beyond being a way to pass the time, it becomes a potential for learning and collaboration in the exchange of experiences," says David Cervera. For Ignacio Romero, the device that will have a penetration into society similar to that currently possessed by smartphones has not yet arrived, and he is eagerly awaiting the rumoured and leaked visor that Apple could present in June, at its annual developers' conference.

"In five, six years, a decade, we will be talking about something completely different," predicts Cervera, judging by the evolution these visors have had in recent years. Quirós even suggests the application of haptic technology and cites the experience of a company that has presented its technological developments in two editions of CES, one as a shirt for the upper body and another that extends to the lower extremities.

It is no longer just the helmet, but another wearable technology that offers "immersive sensations, just by looking at a screen." "And we are not talking about vibrations but real sensations," he adds.

Currently, there are doubts about the start-up of the metaverse, such as whether there will be one virtual world or multiple ones. All agree that in the beginning, there will be multiple metaverses, at least until the standards and regulations that they see as necessary arrive.

"There should only be one metaverse," says Romero, who compares it to the development of the Internet. "Today, we are going to live in different virtual worlds, and in the future, I hope there will be a European regulation for that single metaverse to emerge," he adds.

Villamediana has pointed out that in Spain, for example, regulation is already being worked on. This is the case with the Tax Agency, which is already questioning how an avatar or transactions in the metaverse will be taxed.

It is also seen as an opportunity for Spain to become a leading actor in the development of this technology. One of its strengths is creativity, but by itself, it is not enough. "It has to be creativity oriented towards business, and this is one of the handicaps," adds Villamediana.

And to encourage and retain talent, the involvement of both the private and public sectors is important. "From the private sector, we have to encourage young talent and give them that opportunity, and from the public administration, create those environments that help talent to stay," concludes Ignacio Romero.