Metaverse for virtual game

• Main Author: Lee, Jun Heng
• Other Authors: Dusit Niyato
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Computer science and engineering::Computer applications
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/172096
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The advent of the Metaverse era, accelerated by the global pandemic and advancements in 5G, Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR) technologies, has ushered in a new era of online events, transforming traditional social gatherings into immersive digital experiences. The Metaverse concept, characterized by digital subworlds blurring the boundaries between the physical and virtual realms, has gained significant traction. In response to this paradigm shift, the demand for seamless VR experiences has surged. VR content generation methods play a pivotal role in shaping the quality of the VR experience, with frame rate serving as a critical determinant of visual smoothness and overall immersion. High frame rates are essential for a captivating VR encounter, yet the necessity for expensive, high-performance computers poses accessibility challenges. To bridge this gap, harnessing cloud-based processing power has emerged as an increasingly popular approach for streaming high-quality VR content, democratizing access to immersive experiences. Complementing this, edge computing technology is leveraged to minimize latency associated with cloud-based VR streaming. However, while cloud and remote edge solutions offer mobility and convenience, they introduce inherent trade-offs, including network delays and bandwidth consumption. Streaming VR content from cloud or remote edge devices necessitates substantial backhaul and cellular bandwidth, culminating in network congestion. Addressing this research gap, this study focuses on enhancing the Metaverse experience by optimizing the rendering and streaming system over heterogeneous wireless networks and implementing real-time rendering solutions to augment visual fidelity. Unlike previous efforts, this research seeks to provide users with an immediate and user-centric solution to enhance their VR experience. The primary objective of this project is to facilitate a seamless Metaverse encounter for users by leveraging their existing resources and cloud infrastructure. The scope encompasses an extensive study of existing render streaming methods and platforms, with a specific emphasis on elevating stream quality, augmenting frame rates, and mitigating latency issues. The project aims to distil the insights gained from this analysis into a streamlined platform tailored to diverse interactions, programs, and platforms. In summary, this research endeavours to bridge the gap between the Metaverse's immense potential and users' accessibility, offering a practical solution that harmonizes the virtual and physical realms for a more immersive and enjoyable experience.