The best Quest 2 minigolf game showed me that the metaverse could be amazing

techradar.com:

Last year Meta, then known as Facebook, announced its plans to create a massive online space that would blend together the digital and real worlds called the metaverse.

The idea of the metaverse – a term borrowed from a dystopian sci-fi novel – has understandably left more people feeling more concerned than thrilled. After social interaction was mostly confined to Zoom calls and online chats, I can see why people have had enough of online hangouts.

Yet, as my partner and I have experienced, it might not be as scary as people think. Our time playing Walkabout Mini Golf with friends online has helped us feel less isolated than ever – and, according to the developer, we aren’t the only players to feel that way.

Unlike most of the team here at TechRadar – who are generally found near our offices in London, New York, and Bath – I’m based in a small countryside UK town in the middle of nowhere. One of my neighbors is a horse and public transport is non-existent.

It’s the sort of sparsely populated, unconnected spot that people look to escape from as soon as they turn 18 – and most never look back. If they do return it’s usually to escape the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan lifestyle, raise a family, retire, or (on occasion) all of the above.

As such, pretty much everyone I know has gone away for some reason or another, moving off to distant lands that you can’t visit in an evening after work. My girlfriend has found it isolating here too, as she’s moved away from her tight-knit circle of friends and family – and the pandemic made making new local friends a challenge, to say the least.

We’ve tried video calling, playing online games, everything we can to stay connected with people over the internet.  So far, nothing has come