Top Open Source Metaverse Tools and Frameworks

Everything about the Metaverse tells a tale of a space that is unrestrictive and open to all. A shared space, that is supposed to fill in as the next iteration of the internet, as people join and engage from different parts of the world.

As the technologies being used to build Metaverse platforms evolve, so has the vision for this digital realm.

Today, the Metaverse stands tall as a place of many possibilities, where people can join various real-world activities ranging from work opportunities to fun and lighthearted moments.

It is this vision that open-source Metaverse tools empower. As they lie in the heart of the Metaverse movement in empowering creators and developers. 

Metaverse Development Tools for Building Virtual Landscapes

As we explore some of the best Metaverse tools, it’s important to know about the technologies that are shaping this shared universe.

Its worldwide market is expected to reach $800 billion by the end of 2024.

And the Metaverse is predicted to have an impact on industries other than gaming and entertainment, such as education, healthcare, and manufacturing. Here are some prominent tools that are fueling the Metaverse's rise:

✔️ Unity Powering Diverse Metaverse Experiences

Unity is one of the most popular game engines in the community. It is adept at making all sorts of games and virtual experiences ranging from 2D to 3D.

More importantly, it is a cross-platform engine and can thus be used to create experiences that extend over a variety of devices such as computers, mobiles and virtual headsets, etc. 

• It is quite popular as Metaverse tools go, and has been used by platforms such as The Sandbox and Decentraland to design and develop their own projects. Such as for Metaverse game development and more.  

• It’s powerful and versatile features make it an excellent choice for developers ranging from experts to novices who can leverage components such as the multiplayer functions, animations and graphics. 

✔️ Unreal Engine Powering the Metaverse with High-Fidelity Design

The Unreal game engine is another popular program that is used by developers from indie studios to all the way up to AAA ones.

As a Metaverse tool, it is suited for the task owing to how it rapidly helps in designing open-world experiences. 

It has been used mostly on games and other virtually expansive projects owing to its amazing features.

• It also boasts a powerful physics simulator which will be perfect in designing open-world sandbox environments.

Like for instance, Fortnite is a popular game that combines elements of the Metaverse and is built using the Unreal engine. 

✔️ Ethereal Engine Integrating Blockchain for Metaverse 

The Ethereal engine, as metaverse tools go, is popular in the Metaverse community owing to its inherent feature of integrating blockchain development. Though the Metaverse can obviously support and will probably have support for decentralized features.

This blockchain-based metaverse tool just makes the process a little easier for new creators and developers. 

• By deploying the Ethereal engine, it becomes a lot easier for developers in making decentralized Metaverse experiences while making or extending their platforms. 

• Users can expect much of the popular decentralized features in trying the virtual experiences created by this Metaverse tool such as tokens, NFTs, and more. 

✔️ Blender Facilitating the Creation of Metaverse Content

Metaverse tools like Blender are also important to the creation and further development of Metaverse experiences.

It is an important tool that allows for users to create various models, animations, textures, among other assets that can be used for a Metaverse platform. 

• The program is free and open-source which means that anyone can use it freely to start on their Metaverse development journey without any issues. 

• Such Metaverse tools can be important to not just the developers, but also other stakeholders such as creators who can use it to customize their experience and generate new 3D assets. 

The Metaverse can be a vast place and often present itself as a complex ecosystem. Similar to AI tools for game development, these metaverse tools can help developers and users to easily break into the Metaverse space and start with any project they find important.

Following are some important technologies that are also quite vital to the Metaverse experience, just like the above tools:

• Virtual Reality  Though it isn’t absolutely necessary of the Metaverse and people can develop platforms that don’t fully utilize this tech, VR is one of the key technologies that brings out the immersive nature of the Metaverse.

As it evolves and becomes more accessible, it still remains as one of the most important aspects to be included in modern Metaverse experiences. 

• Augmented Reality As one of the main extended reality technologies, AR is far more versatile and also readily accessible than VR or MR.

It can be enabled by something as simple as a person’s phone and is used to overlay digital images and info onto the real world.

Developers can use metaverse tools with cross-platform operability to incorporate AR while making their Metaverse experiences. 

• Blockchain  Blockchain has been around for quite a while, some would say even before the Metaverse started taking off.

But the distributed ledger technology is perfectly in sync with many of the features of the Metaverse that one would like to see in their virtual experiences.

From transparent digital transactions to stronger levels of security, decentralized governance and tokens – blockchain has got it all and it’s prime for Metaverse tools to integrate it accordingly into certain projects. 

• NFTs  or Non-Fungible Tokens are another important technology that developers would endeavor to incorporate using Metaverse tools and frameworks.

They are used to represent ownership of digital assets inside the Metaverse, such as virtual land or one of the various items that will be available on such platforms.

These digital assets are backed up by blockchain networks and can be used for a variety of purposes in the Metaverse experience for stakeholders, investors and creators.

And for supporting projects that feature Metaverse games to earn money. 

These are some of the important Metaverse tools and technologies that are poised to help developers in creating their virtual experiences.

They hold a lot of potential, and can be easily supplemented with a variety of other programs, depending on what the project needs and other factors. 

Open-Source Metaverse Tools: Crafting Virtual Realities

The Metaverse, first theorized in Neal Stephenson’s hit novel ‘Snow Crash’ has come a long way from artist’s concepts and early efforts.

Today, it’s possible to build certain iterations of the Metaverse, as platforms and projects that can support all types of users united by various goals and interests.

And although it hasn’t quite reached the Ready Player One levels of a shared and highly advanced platform; it is still rapidly evolving as ever in the digital space.

Here are some important Metaverse tools that are open-source and could be used in crafting Metaverse experiences:

✔️ Webaverse

• It sounds a bit derivative, we know, but in terms of its uses for developers, it is an excellent open-source Metaverse tool.

Operated using just browsers, it allows people to create virtual worlds almost entirely from scratch, using their Metaverse engine.

Because it is open source, it is also open to customizations and changes made on the fly.

• Developers using the Webaverse can make use of features such as animation, 3D modeling and networking – among others while making their version of the Metaverse.

It is easy to use and makes for a decent open-source Metaverse tool that people can use to make a decentralized experience that can be accessed by anyone. 

✔️ Ethereal Engine

• Another important metaverse tool that is open-source and quite popular amongst new developers is the Ethereal Engine.

It’s a Metaverse development platform in its own right and allows people to similarly, create Metaverse experiences from scratch.

It is packed with features that will appeal to all sorts of creators and stakeholders looking to join a Metaverse platform. 

• Using Ethereal Engine, developers can make entire 3D worlds with assets and various components. They can also develop games and use the platform to manage user data, among other options.

In the Metaverse community, Ethereal Engine is thus widely regarded as an excellent choice for developers who want to generate various Metaverse experiences by developing their own platform for them. 

✔️ OpenSim

• Another open-source platform that has gained quite a bit of popularity in the community as a Metaverse tool is OpenSim.

It is a dedicated and important choice for all sorts of creators and developers who are interested in making a decentralized Metaverse platform.

As it is quite adept at letting novices and experts in making or hosting virtual worlds on its platform. 

• One important feature of OpenSim is that owing to its architecture and inherent capabilities, developers can use it to make Metaverse experiences that can scale.

This means that the platform can later be expanded and new aspects created or added, based on what the developers want to see in their Metaverse project.

✔️ HyperCube

• If there’s one metaverse tool that developers should definitely check out amongst all such open-source programs, it is HyperCube.

This is an open-source framework that has proven to be quite helpful in assisting creators with their own versions of decentralized experiences.

That’s because HyperCube is an open-source program that also utilizes blockchain technology when allowing users to make their virtual worlds. 

• As decentralization in Metaverse platforms go, one can be sure of using this Metaverse tool for creating experiences that are secure and transparent. One that is owned by its important stake holders including its users. 

Navigate the Virtual Frontiers with Open-Source Metaverse Tools 

Overall, these are some of the top open-source Metaverse tools that are used in developing virtual experiences.

They are varied and consist of some really ground-breaking features but it is important to also consider the specific capabilities that one would need.

Any company or developer interested in creating their Metaverse project using such tools should take inventory of:

• Important features and abilities of the Metaverse tools that one would need.

• The size and complexity of the Metaverse project that they want to scale or currently working on.

• The total budget or resources that they can allocate for Metaverse tools and development.

• In-house technical expertise. 

These factors make it important that you do your research before starting on a Metaverse project.

So that you can choose the right Metaverse tool that suits your requirements and also passes the smell test based on the factors stated above.

As the tools or platform you choose will ultimately have a major impact on how successfully your Metaverse project pans out. 

If you’re looking for a quick consult on this matter, then we suggest you to reach out to our team at EDIIIE. As a Metaverse development company, we’re well versed with the technologies and tools involved.

And regardless of your industry or business requirements of a Metaverse platform, you can rely on us to help turn them into reality.