I would make the claim that Active Worlds is actually the oldest online metaverse platform, launched 28 years ago. It is like a very early version of Second Life, which came out several years later.

Well that's an improvement at least, more realistic for some enterprise applications.

If the company hangs in there, then by the time there's viable and affordable hardware that can be mass produced, they could be in a strong position, with a mature software library and tracking systems.

Though that could be three more years or it could be ten more.

The very first released Magic Leap One device in 2018 proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they really had no particular edge with their supposedly special patented display technology. They did a pretty good job with everything else but the most important part. It doesn't matter how great the display looks if it has the FOV of a postage stamp.

Most of AR is long figured out by now except for two important things. Practical wide-enough FOV displays, and mobile micro power supplies. At the rate its going it could be another decade or more before a viable consumer product.

Nobody has solved the AR display problem yet despite the largest tech companies pouring billions of dollars into research over the last decade. Every year even Apple keeps coming up with new delays for its own take on smart glasses. They also seem to have everything figured out except for the most important part.

They need to bring back Daydream and release a 6DoF mobile headset.