Everywhere and nowhere: Metaverse leaders plan for data centers on a whole new scale

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This article is part of a VB special issue. Read the full series here: Data centers in 2023: How to do more with less.

The metaverse was once pure science fiction, an idea of a sprawling online universe born 30 years ago in Neal Stephenon‘s Snow Crash novel. But now it’s gone through a rebirth as a realistic destination for many industries. And so I asked some people how the metaverse will change data centers in the future.

First, it helps to reach an understanding of what the metaverse will be. Some see the metaverse as the next version of the internet, or the spatial web, or the 3D web, with a 3D animated foundation that resembles sci-fi movies like Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

In the last few years, the metaverse went through a hype cycle, spurred by Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to rename Facebook as Meta in a bid to make virtual reality and mixed reality headsets into the windows of the metaverse. Others see it extending far beyond that to smartphones, PCs and just about any gadget.

While games such as World of Warcraft and virtual worlds like Second Life have taken a step in the direction of the metaverse, others say that Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox are the true forerunners of the metaverse with their emphasis on user-generated content and daily online multiplayer gaming. And still, more believe it will be something much bigger than that.

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Matthew Ball, author of The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything, refers to it as a persistent and interconnected network of 3D virtual worlds that will eventually serve