Meta, formerly called Facebook, could open retail stores around the world to display virtual reality headsets or augmented reality glasses . These are the devices necessary to access an inverse experience of the metaverse, the virtual parallel world and in 3D that the company is building.
According to The New York Times, whose sources are people involved in the project and internal documents, the stores would display devices powered by Meta's Reality Labs. Precisely, this division is in charge of developing the possibilities of virtual and augmented reality with Oculus devices.
The goal of the stores would be to make the world “more open and connected.” In addition, these will be destined to awaken emotions such as “curiosity and closeness” . As if this were not enough, they will seek to provide a space in which people can have a “judgment-free experience”.
Meta could show its virtual reality helmets Oculus Quest in its stores. Also included would be the sunglasses that he developed together with Ray-Ban and the Portal devices, which have a smart screen and allow you to use the company's social networks, make video calls and others.
Meta physical stores to enhance the virtual metaverse
The idea of opening physical stores would have arisen months before the name change from Facebook to Meta. The New York Times notes that the project is still in development and may not continue. If the project is successful, the stores could adopt a minimalist design and the name Facebook Store .
Apparently, the first store would open in Burlingame, California, where Meta has an office for its Reality Labs employees. Other companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Apple have their stores around the world. But this would be the first time that the social media giant would bet on a physical link with its users.
As for the metaverse, although it can be accessed through any phone or computer, Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that he prefers people to engage in an immersive experience , but the company you have to convince people to spend money on augmented reality headsets or virtual reality glasses. Stores could be part of the strategy to achieve this goal.
The metaverse is Meta's most ambitious project. The company will invest some 10,000 million dollars in its project. This is way more money than you spent buying WhatsApp ($ 2 billion) and Instagram ($ 1 billion). In addition, as part of its development, it plans to create 10,000 jobs in Europe.
