Youtube set for the metaverse world, beginning with gaming

Microsoft has also signalled that it is entering the virtual reality world, in its workplace collaboration software

Thu, 10 Feb, 2022 - 18:43

Nico Grant

YouTube said it will start creating metaverse experiences on its video platform, beginning with gaming, following competitors’ investments in the buzzy category.

“We’ll work to bring more interactions to games and make them feel more alive,” Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief product officer, said in a blog post.

“It’s still early days, but we’re excited to see how we can turn these virtual worlds into a reality for viewers,” he said.

The world’s largest video site, owned by Alphabet's Google, has supported virtual-reality videos since 2016. Google released its VR platform Cardboard in 2014 and a much-derided augmented reality device, Google Glass, in 2013.

Companies line up to enter the immersive digital world

Still, the company has been slower than rivals to discuss its plans for the much-hyped metaverse — an immersive digital world where users will interact with digital objects and one another.

While many are sceptical that the metaverse is much more than a rebranding of VR, others in the tech industry think it will be the next major platform for social media, gaming, digital asset ownership, and more.

Google has its own VR/AR division but hasn’t released plans for any device in the field.

Meanwhile Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, changed its name to signal an existential commitment to the metaverse. Microsoft has said it’s bringing workplace collaboration software to the virtual world. It may also capitalise on the shift through its gaming properties.

Some of Youtube’s most popular creators specialise in video game streaming. The company has signed away several broadcasters from rival Twitch. Last month, Youtube’s head of gaming, Ryan Wyatt, departed for a crypto startup.