The metaverse is this conceptual thing that's still kind of hard to pin down, on the account of it sounding like The Matrix but without the jack-in holes in everyone's heads. And without AI looking to control the entirety of humanity. Anyway, on the heels of the LEGO and Epic Games partnership to develop a safe and inclusive metaverse comes word that Sony and the company behind The LEGO Group are investing $1 billion each "to create new social entertainment exploring the connection between digital and physical worlds".

Which is a lot of money for something we're not entirely sure what it is. What we do know is that both companies are investing in Epic Games, and believe strongly that the house of Unreal Engine is the right place to be when it comes to the metaverse.

“As a creative entertainment company, we are thrilled to invest in Epic to deepen our relationship in the metaverse field, a space where creators and users share their time.” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. “We are also confident that Epic’s expertise, including their powerful game engine, combined with Sony’s technologies, will accelerate our various efforts such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives.”

“Epic Games is known for building playful and creative experiences and empowering creators large and small,” added Søren Thorup Sørensen, CEO, KIRKBI (The LEGO Group). “A proportion of our investments is focused on trends we believe will impact the future world that we and our children will live in. This investment will accelerate our engagement in the world of digital play, and we are pleased to be investing in Epic Games to support their continued growth journey, with a long-term focus toward the future metaverse.”

One thing that the metaverse as we know it is tied to is VR, and with Sony set to debut its next-generation VR platform for PlayStation 5 sometime in the future - this LEGO-verse could become a thing sometime during the PS5 generation.