<p>Facebook on Monday said it was combining specialists from across its hardware, gaming and virtual reality units to build an immersive digital world known as the "metaverse."</p>.<p>The "metaverse," a term coined by sci-fi writer Neal Stephenson, refers to a shared online world in which multiple users can hang out, spend money, consume media and potentially even work.</p>.<p>The project is seen as central to Facebook's future by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.</p>.<p>"Today we're standing up a Metaverse product group... to bring together the teams focused on responsibly building this ambitious work," Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth said in a post.</p>.<p>"The defining quality of the Metaverse will be presence -- the feeling of really being there with people."</p>.<p>Facebook hardware such as Portal smart-screens and Oculus virtual reality head gear are already tools for making people feel close together despite being far apart, according to Bosworth.</p>.<p>"To achieve our full vision of the Metaverse, we also need to build the connective tissue between these spaces," he said.</p>.<p>Vishal Shah from the Instagram team will head a new Metaverse Product Group.</p>.<p>Epic Games, the US company behind video game sensation Fortnite, early this year announced it raised $1 billion in new funding, with some of that money to support its vision of the metaverse.</p>.<p>Hit video games such as Fortnite have seen use soar during the pandemic, and their creators see potential to expand to virtual parties, get-togethers or work events.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>Facebook on Monday said it was combining specialists from across its hardware, gaming and virtual reality units to build an immersive digital world known as the "metaverse."</p>.<p>The "metaverse," a term coined by sci-fi writer Neal Stephenson, refers to a shared online world in which multiple users can hang out, spend money, consume media and potentially even work.</p>.<p>The project is seen as central to Facebook's future by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.</p>.<p>"Today we're standing up a Metaverse product group... to bring together the teams focused on responsibly building this ambitious work," Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth said in a post.</p>.<p>"The defining quality of the Metaverse will be presence -- the feeling of really being there with people."</p>.<p>Facebook hardware such as Portal smart-screens and Oculus virtual reality head gear are already tools for making people feel close together despite being far apart, according to Bosworth.</p>.<p>"To achieve our full vision of the Metaverse, we also need to build the connective tissue between these spaces," he said.</p>.<p>Vishal Shah from the Instagram team will head a new Metaverse Product Group.</p>.<p>Epic Games, the US company behind video game sensation Fortnite, early this year announced it raised $1 billion in new funding, with some of that money to support its vision of the metaverse.</p>.<p>Hit video games such as Fortnite have seen use soar during the pandemic, and their creators see potential to expand to virtual parties, get-togethers or work events.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>