Nissan launched the Metaverse experience by combining car history with driver education

Nissan Motor Co. on March 7 announced the launch of a new history and safety-focused Metaverse experience.

Called “Heritage Cars and Safe Drive Studio,” the new exhibit combines immersive visuals of three of Nissan's most iconic cars from history with interactive educational safety exhibits.

In a Nissan press release:

“The studio celebrates Nissan's 90th anniversary in December. It features three iconic models from Nissan's past, each set in a carefully crafted virtual environment that reflects its era.

The first exhibit will feature the Nissan Silvia Q's S13, known worldwide for its popularity as a sedan. In the Heritage Cars and Safe Driving Studio, users can view a historic vehicle and learn about the effect of paint colors on drivers.

In the second exhibit, users can play a mini-game focused on learning about the driver's field of view and how it affects safety while multitasking. You can also check out the Skyline 2000GTX-E, which has been popularized in popular culture outlets including the Gran Turismo video game series and the Fast and Furious film franchise.

The final exhibit will take users back to the United States in the 1950s and 60s to participate in a hands-on carousel experience, “reminiscent of classic American diners and drive-in theaters.”

All three experiments were developed in collaboration with researchers from universities in Japan. In the year These new Meta Vest exhibits will be available at the Meta Quest headset, where they will join previous entries from Nissan, including the company's first virtual test drive, which began in 2022.

As part of its 90th anniversary celebrations, Nissan has revamped four existing Metaverse worlds in December 2023.

Updates to the company's Metaverse will come as hardware solutions for AR and VR begin to mature. The launch of Apple's first mixed-reality headset in February 2024 marks new competition for tech outfits like Meta and Microsoft, which have dominated consumer and enterprise adoption over the past decade.

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