The digital landscape has exploded with virtual platforms promising to transform how we work, create and interact. Three stand out with similar names but wildly different goals and purposes: the metaverse, Omniverse and 3D UNIV+RSES. These terms aren’t interchangeable, but their nearly identical names can create confusion.
Each has its own core technologies, target audiences and purpose. But what sets their approaches apart, and how can they create lasting impact in the virtual – and real – worlds?
Understanding the three platforms
Metaverse: Social-focused interactive concept
A metaverse is a concept rooted in science fiction and brought to life by a few different companies, including Meta, Roblox and Microsoft. It’s the creation of an immersive, 3D world that blends physical and digital spaces using technologies like virtual and augmented reality, AI and even blockchain. In a metaverse, users’ avatars can interact socially, work together and even exchange commodities through e-commerce.
So who uses metaverses? In short, anyone can. Gaming companies make use of the metaverse concept, along with e-commerce and retail companies, ranging from big-box stores to luxury outlets. There are some professional applications, too: metaverses present an interesting opportunity for virtual work events and trainings. That being said, it isn’t necessarily used by B2B companies for daily work, as video-based technologies are and have been ubiquitous for years.
A metaverse is limited in functionality and vulnerable to hackers and other malicious actors. While some industrial applications exist, a metaverse’s primary focus remains entertainment and social interaction. It also faces significant challenges related to interoperability across platforms and data ownership concerns.
NVIDIA Omniverse: Developer-focused industrial platform
NVIDIA’s Omniverse differs significantly from the metaverse. Unlike the metaverse, the Omniverse is a specific platform developed by a specific company. It was created using both proprietary and open-source software, including generative AI. It’s also got a more targeted purpose: it was built for developers to code and create 3D applications and projects.
The platform’s aim is to enable industrial digitalization, providing the ability for developers to create solutions that optimize factories and workflows, develop robotics, carry out simulations, generate synthetic data and more. However, its developer-centric focus means it lacks explicit alignment with broader global challenges beyond technical optimization. It’s also not a platform that individual, non-business users can or would interact with, limiting its scope.
3D UNIV+RSES: Purpose-driven innovation
3D UNIV+RSES represent a new class of virtual representation that combines modeling, simulation, AI and data science. Developed by Dassault Systèmes, this concept was designed to transform industries by linking virtual twins across entire lifecycles and was created specifically with innovation and sustainability in mind. Like the metaverse, 3D UNIV+RSES are more concept than platform, though they’re hosted on the proprietary 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
The platform integrates virtual twins, generative experiences, sense computing and AI-driven knowledge platforms to address global challenges like clean energy, mobility and healthcare. Unlike its competitors, 3D UNIV+RSES explicitly prioritizes IP protection and data sovereignty while fostering collaboration across secure ecosystems.
Key differentiators: Purpose, audience and impact
Target audiences and use cases
Each of these three virtual spaces serves distinct audiences with different needs and objectives. The metaverse casts the widest net, targeting general consumers, gamers, businesses and social platforms with broad virtual experiences. Despite that wide net of users, it’s more limited in functionality than the other two platforms. Its applications range from virtual meetings to digital entertainment and social interaction.
NVIDIA’s Omniverse focuses on technical professionals—developers, engineers and industrial companies needing sophisticated simulation and digital twin capabilities. Its use cases center on technical integration, workflow optimization and collaborative development environments.
3D UNIV+RSES were created to empower industrial companies, researchers and innovators seeking to address specific challenges in healthcare, education, sustainability, manufacturing, urban planning and other industries. Rather than providing a general-purpose platform, this concept offers specialized tools designed to drive meaningful change by providing the means necessary to do so.
Real-world impact
These platforms diverge significantly in their approach to real-world impact. The metaverse often faces criticism for being escapist, though some platforms do enable virtual environmental education and remote work capabilities, getting away from the gaming-centric scope. Its primary value lies in entertainment and social connection rather than solving tangible problems.
NVIDIA’s Omniverse demonstrates strong real-world applications through its industrial focus. Digital twins help optimize manufacturing processes, reduce waste and improve energy efficiency. The platform’s Earth-2 initiative simulates climate impacts and improves disaster response capabilities.
3D UNIV+RSES, however, go furthest in addressing real-world challenges through their explicit alignment with global sustainability goals. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform enables virtual twins to optimize product lifecycles, reduce waste and address challenges in clean energy, healthcare and mobility through sustainable innovation. It’s been used to develop virtual organs like hearts for more accurate surgeries, design disaster-proof resilient buildings, enhance inclusive mobility offerings and even create agrotech solutions to keep cows happy. The platform’s technology has empowered companies large and small to impact real, meaningful change.
Technology integration and capabilities
All three “verses” leverage virtual environments and AI, but their technical approaches reflect different priorities. The metaverse emphasizes immersive experiences through VR and AR technologies, providing interactivity between users’ avatars.
Omniverse prioritizes technical integration through OpenUSD interoperability, making it easy to integrate with existing workflows and development environments. Its AI integration focuses on simulation, generative design and physical AI applications.
3D UNIV+RSES combine advanced AI with spatial computing and virtual twin technology to create systems that users can interact with in a 3D, virtual setting. This integration enables more sophisticated simulations and data-driven decision-making capabilities than either competitor offers.
The sustainability advantage
Sustainability represents perhaps the starkest difference between these platforms. While the metaverse shows limited focus on sustainability beyond some educational applications, and Omniverse supports sustainable manufacturing through energy efficiency improvements, 3D UNIV+RSES builds sustainability into its core mission.
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform and the 3D UNIV+RSES it houses align directly with UN Sustainable Development Goals, including those addressing sustainable manufacturing, consumption and climate action. This alignment isn’t coincidental—it’s fundamental to the platform’s design and purpose.
3D UNIV+RSES enable organizations to model and optimize entire product lifecycles, identifying opportunities to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency before physical production begins. Virtual twins can simulate different scenarios to find the most sustainable approaches to manufacturing, distribution and end-of-life management.
The platform promotes what Dassault Systèmes calls the “generative economy,” which combines circular economy principles with experience-driven innovation. This approach encourages reuse and recycling through comprehensive lifecycle management of virtual twins and advocates a self-sustaining system in which production and consumption are equalized.
Building a sustainable digital future
The emergence of imaginative and immersive virtual worlds made popular by the metaverse has given way to the proliferation of a variety of virtual-first platforms critical for businesses.
3D UNIV+RSES marks a significant step forward in addressing some of the critical challenges faced by existing digital ecosystems. By prioritizing secure data management, intellectual property protection, and seamless collaboration, this new concept provides a robust framework for innovation and shared growth. Unlike other platforms, their focus on security and control ensures that organizations can exchange knowledge and work on sensitive projects with confidence. This approach not only fosters creativity but also establishes a model for future technological development, emphasizing trust and collaboration as key pillars of success.
Shoshana is a Senior Communications Manager on the Corporate Publishing team here at Dassault Systèmes. With experience in journalism, marketing, and PR, her work has been published around the world and across the internet.