• Samsung is the latest global giant to venture into the metaverse, launching a virtual version of its flagship physical store in New York on Decentraland.
• The virtual experience allows users to access Samsung’s display at the ongoing CES show or even join a party hosted by DJ Gamma Vibes.

The metaverse is here, and yet another global giant is venturing into this bold new virtual world. Samsung has become the latest multinational to announce a metaverse project, picking Decentraland for its flagship metaverse effort. The consumer electronics giant has launched a virtual version of its iconic New York physical store as it seeks to promote customer engagement at a time when a new variant of COVID-19 is keeping people away from physical stores.

The physical store Samsung emulated on the metaverse is located at 837 Washington Street in New York City’s Meatpacking District, Manhattan. It will now exist on the metaverse as Samsung 837X for a limited amount of time.

Samsung means business, sparing no cost in its metaverse launch. In a statement, the Korean company claimed that its store is “one of the largest brand land takeovers in the history of Decentraland.” On its virtual store, it will offer three options for its users – Connectivity Theater, Sustainability Forest and Customization Stage.

The Connectivity Theater will focus mainly on the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, showcasing Samsung’s news and product launches at the event.

Those that select the Sustainability Forest will get just that, a digital experience in conservation. Samsung recently partnered with Veritree, a Cardano-based platform that allows users to pay ADA and then have a tree planted for every token. Samsung intends to plant two million trees by the end of the first quarter of the year.

Then there’s the Customization Stage, a virtual experience that will without a doubt be the most fun. It will include the company’s “first-ever metaverse mixed reality live dance party hosted by brilliant producer, DJ and Vibraphonist, Gamma Vibes, from the physical Samsung 837 location.”

Samsung, which sells the most smartphones in the world, just above Huawei and Apple, is excited about its metaverse venture. In a statement, Michelle Crossan-Matos, the senior vice president of corporate marketing and communications at Samsung Electronics America commented:

The metaverse empowers us to transcend physical and spatial limits to create unique virtual experiences that could not happen otherwise. Innovation is in our DNA, and we can’t wait for you all to experience this burgeoning virtual world.

However, not everyone was impressed. The Verge described the project as unnecessary, claiming that “no one asked Samsung for this metaverse experience. Especially not the target audience the company’s press release stated this is for — millennials and zoomers.”