What is the metaverse exactly?

That was the very question I pondered when I was invited last month to test out Meta products at a marketing firm's office in the North Valley. A Meta spokesman, Jim Cullinan, traveled from Seattle to Albuquerque to let me and Alaina Mencinger, the Journal's retail reporter, test out some VR products. Because that's what the metaverse is, right? VR products?

Well, here's some explanation on the metaverse.

Wired, a tech magazine, says the metaverse "doesn't really refer to any one specific type of technology, but rather a broad (and often speculative) shift in how we interact with technology."

Here's Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's definition, according to a Lex Fridman podcast he was on: "A lot of people think that the metaverse is about a place, but one definition of this is it's about a time when basically immersive digital worlds become the primary way that we live our lives and spend our time."

And here's Cullinan's definition of the metaverse, as explained to me: "It's not a replacement for reality - what it is is an enhancement of reality."

Basically, nobody has a dang clue what the metaverse is outside of a virtual reality experience. And no, Meta, Facebook's parent company, does not own the metaverse.

Regardless of my confusion on the matter, I jumped at the chance to test out some metaverse products.

That meant putting on an Oculus Quest 2 headset - no, not the recently announced Meta Quest Pro - and trying my hand at a variety of VR experiences.

I tried my hand at boxing, scaled a glacier in Antarctica, and even played this game that used a light saber to slice boxes that were coming my way.

I will say, reaching the top of the glacier and looking down at the waters beneath me was frightening - and in some respect, felt real. But the graphics weren't up to par with what I expected, though I'm sure some refinement over the next few years will give the National Geographic VR game a more realistic experience.

The boxing match, on the other hand, didn't feel real at all but it definitely made me break out in a sweat.

Prior to my arrival at The Garrity Group office, a local public relations firm best known for representing the Balloon Fiesta, I was sceptical of the metaverse - something Zuckerberg has claimed will be our future. I mean, who in their right mind believes putting a headset on your face is the future?

But one question kept popping in my head as Meta made its pitch to me: Just how much more advanced can we get?

Haven't we grown so much in the last 20 years - heck, even longer - that we're bound to be grounded in our technological advancements for some time? Aren't smart phones and social media about as far as we'll get in the next, say, 20 years? And do we even want to go further in integrating our lives with technology?

I'm 25. And yes, I use a smart phone and social media - mostly for work. I'm what the youngins' call "tech savvy." But I definitely don't plan on putting a headset on my face in the near future. The way it sat on my face made it feel like I was carrying a weight on my head other than my oversized noggin. And the headset also made me break into a sweat extremely quickly.

But I did thoroughly enjoy trying some VR products out.

But making the metaverse an integrated reality within our own? I'm not sold.

In fact, Meta believes in the metaverse so much that it says this is the future for business, too. Even for small businesses that operate storefronts.

Want to walk through a local shop virtually, purchase products and then go pick them up in real life? That's one way in which businesses can take advantage, Cullinan said.

Want to show off your Albuquerque-based restaurant to someone, say, in Portland? Heck, the metaverse might be for you. But also, so might Instagram and TikTok - social media platforms you can promote your business on via video.

Look, I know I sound like a grinch. I'm sceptical about the pitch is all. Social media has already opened the flood gates for businesses to find new customers through targeted ads or by location-based searches. And what about the investment for businesses to even create a virtual experience for new and old customers alike? That's another barrier for small businesses, especially those with tight profits.

I'm not the only sceptic. Even some Meta employees are confused on where the metaverse is going. According to an article from The New York Times, citing a May poll of 1,000 Meta employees conducted by Blind, just 58% said they grasped what Meta's metaverse strategy was.

But that doesn't mean I want Meta, or any other tech company, not to look toward the future - even one that might include a virtual reality integrated into our everyday lives.

I think it's important these companies keep pushing the boundaries, and keep finding new ways to make living easier - and more fulfilling. If that includes a virtual or augmented reality future, so be it. I'll probably be right there with the rest of you with my headset on, running into my living room furniture.

Cullinan said the metaverse is at the most a decade away, which is likely true. Others have said, including The Verge's Casey Newton, that the metaverse is already here. But I believe we're a lot further off from this being our reality - with the masses lining up to buy VR headsets - than people like Zuckerberg think.

And next time Meta comes into town to let me test out VR, they should bring a virtual reality that lets me ride a hot air balloon. That's one good way to convince a New Mexican.

But today, I'm not buying it.

 - TNS