Well, this isn’t something you expect to see every day, but I just heard from the folks at Victoria VR who say that they are getting ready to launch the world’s first photorealistic metaverse (see also What the FAQ are VR, MR, AR, DR, AV, and HR?).

The VICTORIA VR Metaverse is to be presented in fully immersive virtual reality (VR), bridging the worlds of business, pleasure, and gaming, all based on Blockchain technology. VICTORIA VR is not quite Ready Player One, but it’s certainly a step in that direction.

Do you want to visit the world of VICTORIA VR? (Click image to see a larger version — Image source: Victoria VR)

From what I understand, VICTORIA VR is aiming to be like Second Life on steroids. Now, I’m not an expert on any of this (so I’d be happy to be corrected), but although Second Life simulators use the Havok physics engine for all in-world dynamics, I don’t believe Second Life is supported in VR. By comparison, VICTORIA VR is going to be powered by Epic’s Unreal Engine, which is as unreal as it gets.

Its creators say that VICTORIA VR is going to be much more than just a VR game because in many respects you will actually be able to live there. In their own words, “You will be able to work to make money, educate yourself, have fun, network and make new friends, and maybe even find love.”

All of this is fueled by something called “VR Tokens” that are a form of cryptocurrency based on a foundation of Blockchain technology. Inhabitants of VICTORIA VR will use VR Tokens to securely trade goods, services, property, land, and so forth.

It seems there was a VICTORIA VR / VR Token presale where 1 VR = $0.0055 USD. Following my lack of foresight with regard to the fortunes of Bitcoin, I might have been tempted to gamble $50 (“just in case”), but these little rascals were all snapped up before I’d even heard they were going to be made available.

On the bright side, the folks at Victoria VR say, “For those who weren’t lucky enough to get their tokens before the sellout presale, Victoria VR is giving away over 1 million VR Tokens as a thank you to everyone for their support.” They go on to say, “To enter the giveaway and be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes that cannot be bought for money, simply go to https://victoriavr.com/win/”

Well, you can call me “old-fashioned” if you will, but I want a chance of winning some fantastic prizes that cannot be bought for money, so I just went and signed up. Ooh! Ooh! While I was penning these words, I just received an email that says I’ll be presented with an extra 25 bonus entries for each of my friends who use this link to enter the giveaway. Since I don’t have any friends, it would be great if you could use my link if you decide to dip your toes in the VICTORIA VR waters.

I don’t know if I’m too young or too old for all of this excitement. What I do know is that when VICTORIA VR launches, I’d love to visit and see what’s what. How about you?