Entertainment in the Metaverse – Gourmet Plates and Neon Nights

Somewhere, the shimmer of a virtual champagne is clinking in a blockchain-powered VIP lounge, while a digital concert cheers a digital crowd. Such is the entertainment experience in the metaverse. These seemingly distinct worlds are rapidly converging, driven by a shared hunger for exclusivity (owning digital artifacts or accessing artists’ backstages from one’s living room) and the demand for instant sensory gratification. 

Thanks to today’s digital technologies, users can try a renowned chef’s signature dish with the help of haptic feedback devices, or shake around a virtual nightclub with their VR suits, while their avatars dance under cascading neon lights. It’s no longer pixels on a flat screen; it’s a fully embodied escape, a frontier where physical limitations melt and every desire feels tantalizingly within reach. This is where social connection, entertainment, and indulgence finally meet.  

Here’s what people should know about entertainment in the metaverse, and how it’s reshaping this industry. 

The Hedonism’s Algorithm

Technology isn’t just supporting this convergence; it’s the fluid bridge between digital fun and tangible luxury. The crypto online casino industry is a prime example: between 2019 and 2024, this industry went from USD 50 million to USD 250 million globally. Crypto casinos aren’t new, though. 

The first-ever crypto casino, SatoshiDice, was launched in 2012, catering to a still small audience of Bitcoin owners. There are quite a few reasons behind the staggering growth of this industry in recent years. Firstly, they borrow part of their popularity from traditional online casinos, loved by about 882 million people worldwide.

Entertainment options in the metaverse go way beyond realistic casino games. Hi-tech companies like Wave promote fully digital raves and live concerts, with the motto “the show must go beyond.” In 2020, Travis Scott played a live concert in Fortnite, attracting 12.3 million viewers, who also happened to be concurrent players; a record number for the game. 

Over the past five years, over 34 million VR headsets were sold worldwide. This means the digital crowd is getting bigger, even though market numbers oscillate from one year to another. Along with augmented reality glasses, these devices are the metaverse’s backbone, without which immersion levels drop considerably. 

The Dawn of the Metaverse

Often touted as “the future of the internet,” the concept of “metaverse” emerged in the sci-fi novel from the early 1990s. Indeed, today’s metaverse, championed by tech bigwigs like Mark Zuckerberg, looks very much like the virtual space described by Neal Stephenson in Snow Crash. 

Stephenson envisioned a collective digital space where people could interact with each other via self-designed 3D avatars, engaging in activities that could range from hanging out with friends to sword fights with demons and beasts. Today’s metaverse is the latest word in immersive digital experience, and it’s gaining traction thanks to the popularization of VR and AR headsets. 

However, it’s important to note that there isn’t a “single” metaverse, but multiple ones instead. The biggest companies developing their metaverses right now are Meta, Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Meta’s description says it’ll “encompass work, entertainment, and everything in between.” 

In other words, users can hang out with their friends, co-workers, or significant others in digital versions of the best restaurants after an intense day at work in a virtual office, or a night out in a digital rave.

Digital Universes

The idea of a metaverse may sound futuristic, but it’s already a thing. VR and AR headsets are mandatory, but since they are cheaper, that’s no longer so much of a problem. With a VR headset, players can “walk around” fully digital venues, try virtual products, travel around the world, or hang out in a bar, while having a fancy drink. 

Platforms like the Sandbox and Meta’s Horizon Worlds host hundreds of thousands of users every month to enjoy such experiences. It’s possible to attend fashion week events at Decentraland or pick up exclusive item drops at Roblox spaces. If this revolution means more entertainment for users, it means business for tech-savvy companies. After all, they aren’t only promoting their products in the digital space but creating a full-bodied branded space for users to inhabit.

Graphics are somewhat cartoonish, but they create 3D, 360-degree projections of users, allowing for much more lifelike interactions. The innovation is still gaining traction, as VR/AR headsets reach an increasing number of users. There are also versions using augmented reality, that is, overlaying projections of games and players right on the user’s living room. 

Typically, such platforms work with many cryptocurrencies, including options like ETH, MANA, and DAI. The metaverse is a hotbed for innovations. New business models have emerged, including play-to-earn, where players get rewarded in cryptos or NFTs for engaging with specific games, completing tasks, and missions.

These digital economies thrive within specific virtual realms. For instance, Axie Infinity has created the world’s largest NFT gaming ecosystem, with nearly 2 million users daily. The recipe behind such a roaring success is its innovative NFT-based play-to-earn logic, where players receive NFTs for completing tasks, later selling or exchanging them in marketplaces.

NFTs and the “Phygital” Revolution

Crypto casinos in the metaverse aren’t isolated; they are part of the “phygital revolution,” that is, the convergence of physical and digital worlds. It happens when avatars can interact with digital spaces and other people, like in real life, or when users can exchange digital assets for real-life goods and money. 

Examples are tangible: players can get virtual Jordans on Fortnite by purchasing Nike-backed NFTs at the game’s store, and even unlock exclusive designs. Meanwhile, Tiffany & Co. uses NFTs as digital proofs of ownership of their custom, limited-edition jewellery. The globally famous jewellery brand allows Crypto Punks holders to turn their avatars into exclusive pendants.

Meanwhile, fashion brands like Adidas and Gucci have created digital twins of their real-world products and experiences, strengthening brand loyalty and a sense of community. In fact, customers buying Gucci’s NFTs can also exchange them for physical products, if not identical twins. 

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) emerge as the next evolution, allowing for entirely new promotions, reward programs, and exclusive gaming experiences. NFTs are unique blockchain-based digital assets, over which purchasers can claim verifiable ownership. In this context, they are often cartoonish depictions of animals (think of the Bored Ape Yacht Club), in-game assets, or meals. 

Players can trade their earnings in digital marketplaces for cryptos, other non-fungible tokens, or fiat currency. In other words, it introduces play-to-earn logic to some new online games. Some platforms already use it to create and unlock exclusive VIP benefits. The same goes for online sportsbooks, where NFTs inspired by famous clubs and athletes unlock exclusive betting markets. 

Tasty Bytes

Restaurant chains have also resorted to blockchain-backed solutions to expand their businesses. Decentralized platforms like Bistroo offer a digital space where producers, chefs, and customers can meet, and all orders are paid with cryptocurrencies. Innovative brands like Degen Distillery promote their products via NFTs that grant ownership to real-life products, metaverse events, and even live concerts. 

Popular fast-food chains like Subway and Steak ‘n Shake now support crypto payments, as part of a growing trend among restaurants and award-winning pastries like Cronut(R). Led by chef Dominique Ansel, the brand offers NFTs of its most iconic recipes, including Burnt Vanilla & Smoked Caramel, Guava & Orange Blossom, and others. The happy owners of these NFTs can claim benefits like skipping lines and a real-life version of their tokens.

Crypto foodies can enjoy a wide array of tasty experiences in the virtual world. Platforms like OneRare allow players to interact with celebrity chefs and create unreal virtual meals with NFT-based ingredients, minting their own non-fungible meals. It’s also a gaming zone, where users can complete tasks in exchange for new tokens. OneRare’s developers call it “the first foodverse,” or “food metaverse.” 

The Future Is Phygital

Phygital convergence is redefining luxury gaming, merging tangible exclusivity with digital innovation. Metaverse crypto casinos are perfect examples of that, with a virtual champagne toast alongside 3D roulette tables with players from around the world. This is no longer science fiction; it’s the next evolution, driven by an increasing demand for immersive and lifelike digital experiences. 

Solid market projections confirm this ascending trajectory: the global metaverse industry is expected to reach over USD 930 billion by 2030. Meanwhile, luxury brands of all niches (from sports cars to clothing and fancy restaurants) invest in innovative phygital products. VR headsets may already grant access to Michelin-starred restaurants, raves, and futuristic entertainment. 

In this context, NFTs emerge as the perfect bridge between both worlds, granting official ownership of digital assets that can be used in multiple ways. In fact, there are NFTs even for luxury cars and real estate, which also allow for shared ownership of both digital and real-world assets. As Web3 evolves, more innovative and engaging business models will likely come up.  

Final Bytes

The neon glow of the metaverse crypto casino is far more than a gimmick. It represents the powerful convergence of tangible luxury and blockchain-backed innovation, forging the ultimate phygital gaming realm. Driven by the allure of exploring virtual worlds, users dive into a sensorial indulgence of virtual champagne, fancy dinners, digital lounges, and real-life rewards; all thanks to VR headsets. Meanwhile, AR glasses overlay digital content on the user’s environment, allowing them to get instant information about their surroundings, try virtual products, and project games into their living rooms. 

Beyond gameplay, NFT unlocks revolutionary ownership of digital assets, cross-platform utility, and exclusive rewards, making the line between virtual and real experiences even thinner. While regulatory hurdles and VR ownership remain challenging, this industry’s trajectory undeniably points north. Likewise, the global metaverse market is also set to skyrocket in the next few years.