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Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
2025 Guide to The Newest, The Coolest And The Craziest Music Festivals
Friends having fun dancing about at a sunny music festival in Barcelona. getty Can you hear that? It's the sound of stages being set up, venues being booked and the loudest sounds of all are the groans of agony from festival goers who are looking at the prices of the 2025 music festival lineup. According to the Business Research Company's Music Festival Global Report, these fests are a huge boost to the economy, projected to surpass the $2.57 billion market worth of 2024 to a whopping $3.04 billion in 2025 and forecasted to hit $5.85 billion by 2029. Of this, Axios reported that North America attributed more than 40% of global music festival growth, per festivals like Coachella, Warped Tour and more. In March and April, most of the biggest names in summer music festivals release their then shortly after, their pricing. Most have tiered tickets, with single-day and multi-day packages, general admission and VIP and even some with crazy perks we haven't seen until this year. Also included in the 2025 lineup are more affordable shows, should you be able to get to them or wait a bit for the off-season to roll around, like this winter fest in the frozen tundra's of Montreal we wrote about this past winter. That fest is also one that ranks amongst the 'craziest' on the list. Other contenders include a midwest summer festival that you can watch from a yacht, an underwater music festival beneath the sea, and the largest (and free!) music festival in the world. Read on for the cheapest, craziest, most unique festivals on the circuit this year—find the superlative that speaks to you and mark your calendars. When people say 'bigger isn't always better' they may not have heard about this music festival in Austria. Not only is it the largest open-air festival in the world by attendees, holding the Guinness World Record for their 2015 attendance of 3.3 million, but it is also completely free. Yes, free. Danube Island Festival, the name in English, has 16 stages for over 200 performances during the three days. The festival truly is for everyone, as genres span everything from EDM and DJ sets to pop, rock, folk, metal and more with European artists and international sensations stopping by each year. It is also incredibly accessible not only with the free admission but the location as well, situated near public transit and equipped with free bike storage facilities for those on wheels. Dates: June 20 - 22, 2025 Lineup: With over 200 performers, head to the website and download the program details for each day to see who will be attending. At a glance, international attendees may recognize Milky Chance, Halestorm, Kim Wilde and more. Tickets: This music festival is free to the public and no tickets are required. The big apple is making a big change this year for some of the most avid music festival fans. New for 2025, the three-day festival is selling a brand new ticket for the closest view they have ever offered. Pit Viewing starts at $699 at time of publication for a 1-day ticket and $1,499 for a 3-day pass that spans the festival. These tickets grant access to the exclusive front-of-stage viewing area, in front of the typical VIP section and the general admission crowds. Ticket holders will also get all VIP amenities like lounge access, premium bathrooms and dedicated areas for food and beverages. Dates: June 6 - 8, 2025 Lineup: Headliners include Tyler the Creator, Benson Boone, Olivia Rodrigo, Feid, Hozier and Glass Animals. Tickets: Tickets are still available to purchase as of time of publication, with some days and tiers fully sold out. Since Minnesota is the 'Land of 10,000 Lakes' it only makes sense that you can watch a music festival while floating. The Minnesota Yacht Club is hosting their music festival this July, during peak Minnesota heat, which is why their Harriet Island Regional Park location is perfect, as it sits alongside the Mississippi River. For those that have the cash to spend, you can watch the festival from a historic riverboat, starting at $595 for a 1-day ticket or $920 for the 3-day package. This add-on includes VIP perks plus a 60-minute cruise at a time of your choosing with a margarita happy hour on the Padelford Riverboats before the pre-headliner and the headliner set each night. Dates: July 18 - 20, 2025 Lineup: Headliners include Hozier, Alabama Shakes, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Green Day and Sublime. Tickets: Tickets are still available to purchase at time of publication, with some waitlists. If just being on the water in Minnesota isn't enough, go under the sea down in Florida for their annual Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival. Out in Key West, divers, snorkeler and even some mermaids converge on Looe Key Reef to partake in a one-of-a-kind celebration of music and conservation advocacy. While this isn't a traditional music festival with celebrity performers and stages, it is something to be seen. For those that don't dive, there are also educational events put on by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, a costume contest and more. Dates: July 11 - 12, 2025 Lineup: n/a Tickets: This event is free to attend. Contact a local dive shop to reserve a spot on a boat should you want to partake in a dive or snorkel experience. Show up and show out for the LGBTQ+ community, as Washington D.C. hosts World Pride 2025. This year, Pride is bigger than ever and so the capital is doing it big this year with a star-studded lineup. The two-day festival on June 6 and 7 sets the tone for the rest of Pride Month and also honors the 50th anniversary of Pride events being held in D.C. The global dance extravaganza combines singers, DJ's and queer icons over three stages and multiple genres in a rainbow of dancing, fashion and queer joy. Dates: June 7 - 8, 2025 Lineup: Headliners include Jennifer Lopez, Troye Sivan, Paris Hilton, Grimes, Kim Petras and RuPaul. Tickets: Tickets are still available to purchase at time of publication, however they are over 90% sold out. Forget the crowded summer music festival circuit and heat up the dance floor in the middle of January. Igloofest is held each year in Montreal, Canada, no matter the temperature outside. In 2013 the festival was hit with -17 °F temperatures, plus a drastic windchill that brought temps down to -36°F to -58°F. Despite the arctic feel, the vibes from this festival bring the heat as attendees take this opportunity to dress up in neon skiing jumpsuits, fur parkas and even Yeti costumes like the official mascot of Igloofest. Plus, having hot beverages, alcoholic options, heated VIP areas and a constant stream of EDM and house music help to keep the blood pumping. Dates: Jan - March, depending on the host city (Montreal, Gatineau and Quebec City) Lineup: Not yet released for the 2026 season. Past festivals saw Apashe, Chris Luno, Claptone, Dombresky, Michael Bibi, Zeds Dead and more. Tickets: Not yet released for the 2026 season. For those that love the rave lifestyle but also want a comfy seat to watch the action in high-resolution, this new multimedia experience is for you. EDM music festival Tomorrowland, held in Belgium each year, has teamed up with Insomniac, the world-class festival organizer behind Electric Forest, Electric Daisy Carnival and more, to produce this one-of-a-kind show in the one-of-a-kind Sphere in Las Vegas. The immense globe structure puts on incredibly vivid shows using 580,000 sq feet of LED panels, creating a curved screen that provides viewers an immersive theater experience beyond that of IMAX or otherwise. This is the perfect medium for the new show, UNITY, which will take audiences through some of the most beloved EDM festivals like Beyond Wonderland x Nocturnal, Escape x Countdown and more, with some surprises along the way. Dates: Select dates from Aug. 29 - Oct. 18, 2025 Lineup: In addition to the EDM and house-inspired soundtrack during the experience, there will be a surprise special guest DJ at the end of each showing. Tickets: Tickets are still available to purchase at time of publication, with both general tickets and suite reservations available.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
The ABCs of LLM testing: A practical introduction
Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly integrated into everyday tools—writing assistants, chat interfaces, translation systems, and more. Their influence is expanding quickly, but with that comes a clear need to make sure they function as you've ever built an LLM to handle tasks like generating product content or answering questions, you know the risks. If the output is confusing or inappropriate, it could affect users or damage trust. This is why validating how these models perform is more than just helpful—it's essential. Analysts forecast that most organizations will rely on AI systems soon. Many of those systems will use LLMs. Understanding how to assess them is quickly becoming an important skill. Additionally, according to the Business Research Company , the LLM market size will grow to $13.52 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.0% . This overview explains what makes LLM testing unique, the main hurdles, the different testing approaches, and how to apply them in real-world projects. Why Testing LLMs Isn't Like Testing Other Tools?Unlike traditional software, LLMs don't always respond the same way every time. Input the same request twice, and you might get slightly different answers. This variability makes standard testing techniques less effective. That's because these models generate results based on patterns from large amounts of data, not fixed rules. Asking for a restaurant suggestion might give you different answers on different days—both are valid, but not identical. This fluid behaviour means exact-match testing doesn't apply. Testing LLMs requires flexibility and an understanding that correct outputs can come in more than one form. What Makes Testing LLMs Difficult?There are several reasons why checking the behaviour of these models is more complex than usual: Output Variation: Since answers can differ slightly each time, it's hard to rely on fixed expected Transparency: The basic logic of LLMs isn't fully visible, so pinpointing mistakes isn't Cost: When using third-party models that charge per request, large-scale tests can become expensive. Each of these adds layers of difficulty, especially for teams with limited resources. Despite these challenges, several testing methods can be applied to evaluate how well a model is doing: Different Ways to Test an LLM Individual Response Testing: These tests check how the model reacts to specific inputs, like asking it to summarize a short Case Testing: This approach checks whether the model performs a task effectively by reviewing multiple examples at Comparison Testing: Used to confirm that updates to the model haven't created unexpected side effects or new and Cost Testing: Focuses on how fast the model responds and how much each response Testing: Verifies that the model's outputs are free of offensive language, bias, or improper material. Combining these techniques helps teams better understand a model's level of safety and dependability. How to Evaluate the Output? To measure results, teams rely on various scoring methods. Some methods focus on how closely the model's answer matches a known one by comparing shared phrases. Others conduct deeper analysis, evaluating whether the response reflects the appropriate meaning or factual content. Choosing the right method depends on what the model is expected to do. A simple word match may work for translation but not for summarizing a complex article. Given these methodological considerations, organizations often implement a multi-faceted approach that balances automated techniques with human judgment. Human Evaluation Human judgment remains the gold standard for determining whether outputs truly meet expectations. Using a plain-language rating scale, reviewers efficiently categorize each response as Green (Good), Yellow (Okay), or Red (Needs Work) across parameters such as accuracy, risk of hallucination, clarity, completeness, and consistency. Automated Metrics Automated metrics combine reference-based measures with a multi-dimensional framework to deliver fast, scalable insights: Lexical Overlap: Exact or fuzzy n-gram matching with reference texts (e.g., ROUGE, METEOR).Embedding-Based Similarity: Semantic closeness via contextual embeddings (Cosine Similarity, BERTScore).NLI-Based Assessment: Logical alignment through Natural Language Inference scores (Entailment, Contradiction, Neutral).Consistency & Hallucination: Detection of internal contradictions and fabricated content (Consistency Score, Hallucination Risk Index). Impact-Driven Evaluation Measure real-world results like user satisfaction, task success, fewer support tickets, time saved, and overall business value to ensure the model is truly effective. Red-Teaming & Adversarial Testing Simulate malicious and edge-case prompts to expose safety, bias, and factual vulnerabilities, particularly in safety-sensitive domains. This approach empowers teams to address failure modes such as hallucinations or harmful content. Improving the Testing ProcessTo build a strong testing setup, considering the following steps is important: Use tools built specifically for testing AI your evaluation methods to the complexity of the the testing so it runs whenever the model real-world examples to uncover practical rely on machines alone—ask humans to review outputs when quality or tone matters. This combination of tools, planning, and people creates a more complete picture of how the model performs. What's Next in LLM Testing?As these models continue to evolve, testing practices must keep pace. Here are a few trends shaping the future: Frequent Model Updates: Continuous changes require ongoing test of Benchmarks: There's still no universal way to compare models across Decision-Making: It's still difficult to understand how models generate specific outputs. New strategies are starting to emerge. Stress-testing, for example, introduces tough or unusual questions to see where the model breaks. Tools that explain how models think are also improving. And human-AI partnerships are helping design better tests and interpret complex results. Why LLM Testing MattersTesting Large Language Models (LLMs) goes beyond simply avoiding mistakes; it ensures that models are safe, reliable, and valuable when deployed in real-world scenarios. Verifying an LLM's performance means rigorously assessing not just factual accuracy, but also safety, ethical alignment, usability, and business impact. A comprehensive testing strategy, balancing human evaluation, automated metrics, impact-driven analysis, and adversarial testing, helps teams identify hidden risks like hallucinations, bias, and inconsistency before users encounter them. By applying the right tools and processes across multiple dimensions, organizations can confidently release LLMs that meet both user expectations and organizational standards, safeguarding trust and maximizing real-world value.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Roblox Corporation (RBLX) the Best Metaverse Stock to Invest in?
We recently published a list of . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) stands against other best metaverse stocks to invest in. The metaverse, which comes under the video games industry, is a fast-growing digital frontier where immersive tech creates interactive virtual worlds. It is built on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain, and mixed reality, offering simulated spaces for socializing, working, learning, and playing. Essentially, it blends digital and physical realities to provide customized and immersive experiences via avatars, live communication, and spatial computing. Users no longer just browse static web pages – they move through dynamic 3D environments that mirror and enhance real-world interactions, marking a shift from simple apps to fully immersive virtual spaces. Metaverse is segmented into four types: lifelogging, augmented reality, mirror world, and virtual reality. The metaverse grows mainly by combining content streaming and blockchain infrastructure, where blockchain has improved secure transactions, digital asset ownership, and governance. These systems support user-driven economies where people build, sell, and profit from digital experiences, similar to Roblox. At the same time, the rise of 3D platforms, virtual markets, and gaming worlds drives investment. In 2024, the global video streaming market—crucial for immersive media—hit $674.25 billion. The Business Research Company reports that the global metaverse market is predicted to grow from $227.05 billion in 2024 to $316.34 billion in 2025, with a strong 39.3% CAGR. Whereas, S&P Global Market Intelligence predicts that global metaverse revenue will climb from $17.5 billion in 2023 to $54.5 billion by 2028, growing at a 25.5% CAGR. Businesses became the main customer segment, driven by the need for digital twin software and remote collaboration tools. According to S&P, these businesses strengthened their position in 2023, accounting for 42.8% of the entire metaverse market. As major companies expand virtual platforms and adopt faster streaming, metaverse services strengthen across industries. Moreover, social media and mobile internet have sped up the growth of the virtual ecosystem. With over 2.4 billion users on Meta (previously Facebook) and billions more on WhatsApp and YouTube, the digital world is more connected than ever. The line between digital and physical life keeps blurring as many daily activities—hanging out, entertainment, shopping—are already happening in early metaverse settings. This has sparked the development of virtual learning, workplace collaborative tools, and blockchain-based gaming economies. According to NewGenApps, VR and AR gaming is set to reach 216 million players worldwide by 2025, with a market worth $11.6 billion. Markedly, a 2024 survey revealed that 34% of game developers globally are creating titles for the Meta Quest Store, a digital marketplace, showing strong developer interest in immersive gaming platforms. Furthermore, generative AI is reshaping the next phase of the metaverse, ranging from custom content suggestions to auto-dubbing, editing, and better visuals. Streaming platforms now use large language models like GPT-4 to create real-time content and ensure moderation, making digital interactions safer and more accessible. Although the broader metaverse is still under development, technologies powering virtual economies—such as play-to-earn games, NFT marketplaces, and digital event tickets—already create income opportunities for users and developers. The Entertainment Software Association reported that 227 million Americans play video games every week, with an average age of 31. This shows a growing mainstream adoption of immersive content across different age groups. The combination of AI with VR/AR is helping platforms expand beyond gaming and entertainment into healthcare and business applications. As users want more personalized, high-resolution experiences, metaverse tech is advancing on low-latency infrastructures. Platforms like are changing streaming with super-fast delivery for gaming, education, and live shopping. Initially, the metaverse faced a lot of backlash due to a not-so-appealing experience and inability to connect with users. Despite less public buzz after 2022, progress hasn't stopped—the metaverse is young, with ongoing improvements pushing it forward. These advances, plus the growing demand for video-on-demand services, show how deeply the metaverse fits into digital viewing habits. As North America leads the market, with major players and high digital spending, Asia Pacific is also set for future growth due to the quick adoption of immersive tech. This shows that the metaverse isn't just a passing trend—it is a fundamental shift changing how people live, talk, and connect in digital spaces. As immersive environments disrupt traditional media, the metaverse is becoming a promising investment. To compile our list of the 12 Best Metaverse Stocks to Invest in, we first conducted extensive research to identify companies with significant exposure to the metaverse technology. First, we used stock screeners, ETFs, and online rankings to make an extended list of the relevant companies. Then, we extracted the number of hedge fund holders having a stake in the respective companies as of Q4 2024, using data from Insider Monkey's hedge fund database. The finalists are stocks with the highest hedge fund interest. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). A person taking lessons through Roblox Education, expanding their knowledge and skills. Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 61 Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) runs a 3D platform where users can connect, communicate, and create. The company offers the Roblox Client for exploring virtual worlds, Studio for making content, and Cloud for real-time support. Thus, Roblox stands out in the metaverse through user-created experiences, social features, and partnerships with brands and creators, cementing its role in advancing immersive 3D content. As a result, it is ranked among the best metaverse stocks. For Q4 ending December 31, 2024, Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) posted $988 million in revenue, growing 32% year-over-year and exceeding the company's guidance. Bookings hit $1.36 billion, an increase of 21% from the previous year. Daily users jumped 19% to 85.3 million, with over 61% being 13 or older; furthermore, people spent 18.7 billion hours on the platform, which is a 21% increase. Free cash flow shot up 54% to $120 million in Q4, while yearly free cash flow reached $641 million (five times higher than in 2023). Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) keeps growing as it shared $922 million with creators in 2024 through DevEx, up 25% from last year. The company made improvements with real-time pricing, a customizable avatar marketplace, and enhanced monetization through platform-specific Robux incentives. The company's success also came from expanding content variety with major IP-based activations and breakout experiences like 'NFL Universe' and 'SpongeBob' gaining traction. Looking forward, Roblox aims to host 10% of global gaming content, up from today's 2.4%. The company plans to improve live 3D streaming, cross-device access, and AI creation tools. For Q1 2025, Roblox is expected to bring AI text generation, with 3D AI features following in Q2. Despite economic uncertainties, Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) is focused on operational efficiency, reliable infrastructure, and growing users through innovation and partnerships. Overall, RBLX ranks 10th on our list of best metaverse stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of RBLX, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than RBLX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at .
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Unity Software Inc. (U) the Best Metaverse Stock to Invest in?
We recently published a list of . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U) stands against other best metaverse stocks to invest in. The metaverse, which comes under the video games industry, is a fast-growing digital frontier where immersive tech creates interactive virtual worlds. It is built on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain, and mixed reality, offering simulated spaces for socializing, working, learning, and playing. Essentially, it blends digital and physical realities to provide customized and immersive experiences via avatars, live communication, and spatial computing. Users no longer just browse static web pages – they move through dynamic 3D environments that mirror and enhance real-world interactions, marking a shift from simple apps to fully immersive virtual spaces. Metaverse is segmented into four types: lifelogging, augmented reality, mirror world, and virtual reality. The metaverse grows mainly by combining content streaming and blockchain infrastructure, where blockchain has improved secure transactions, digital asset ownership, and governance. These systems support user-driven economies where people build, sell, and profit from digital experiences, similar to Roblox. At the same time, the rise of 3D platforms, virtual markets, and gaming worlds drives investment. In 2024, the global video streaming market—crucial for immersive media—hit $674.25 billion. The Business Research Company reports that the global metaverse market is predicted to grow from $227.05 billion in 2024 to $316.34 billion in 2025, with a strong 39.3% CAGR. Whereas, S&P Global Market Intelligence predicts that global metaverse revenue will climb from $17.5 billion in 2023 to $54.5 billion by 2028, growing at a 25.5% CAGR. Businesses became the main customer segment, driven by the need for digital twin software and remote collaboration tools. According to S&P, these businesses strengthened their position in 2023, accounting for 42.8% of the entire metaverse market. As major companies expand virtual platforms and adopt faster streaming, metaverse services strengthen across industries. Moreover, social media and mobile internet have sped up the growth of the virtual ecosystem. With over 2.4 billion users on Meta (previously Facebook) and billions more on WhatsApp and YouTube, the digital world is more connected than ever. The line between digital and physical life keeps blurring as many daily activities—hanging out, entertainment, shopping—are already happening in early metaverse settings. This has sparked the development of virtual learning, workplace collaborative tools, and blockchain-based gaming economies. According to NewGenApps, VR and AR gaming is set to reach 216 million players worldwide by 2025, with a market worth $11.6 billion. Markedly, a 2024 survey revealed that 34% of game developers globally are creating titles for the Meta Quest Store, a digital marketplace, showing strong developer interest in immersive gaming platforms. Furthermore, generative AI is reshaping the next phase of the metaverse, ranging from custom content suggestions to auto-dubbing, editing, and better visuals. Streaming platforms now use large language models like GPT-4 to create real-time content and ensure moderation, making digital interactions safer and more accessible. Although the broader metaverse is still under development, technologies powering virtual economies—such as play-to-earn games, NFT marketplaces, and digital event tickets—already create income opportunities for users and developers. The Entertainment Software Association reported that 227 million Americans play video games every week, with an average age of 31. This shows a growing mainstream adoption of immersive content across different age groups. The combination of AI with VR/AR is helping platforms expand beyond gaming and entertainment into healthcare and business applications. As users want more personalized, high-resolution experiences, metaverse tech is advancing on low-latency infrastructures. Platforms like are changing streaming with super-fast delivery for gaming, education, and live shopping. Initially, the metaverse faced a lot of backlash due to a not-so-appealing experience and inability to connect with users. Despite less public buzz after 2022, progress hasn't stopped—the metaverse is young, with ongoing improvements pushing it forward. These advances, plus the growing demand for video-on-demand services, show how deeply the metaverse fits into digital viewing habits. As North America leads the market, with major players and high digital spending, Asia Pacific is also set for future growth due to the quick adoption of immersive tech. This shows that the metaverse isn't just a passing trend—it is a fundamental shift changing how people live, talk, and connect in digital spaces. As immersive environments disrupt traditional media, the metaverse is becoming a promising investment. To compile our list of the 12 Best Metaverse Stocks to Invest in, we first conducted extensive research to identify companies with significant exposure to the metaverse technology. First, we used stock screeners, ETFs, and online rankings to make an extended list of the relevant companies. Then, we extracted the number of hedge fund holders having a stake in the respective companies as of Q4 2024, using data from Insider Monkey's hedge fund database. The finalists are stocks with the highest hedge fund interest. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). A technician inspecting a modern battery cell. Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 55 Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U) offers a platform for creating 3D and 2D interactive content across gaming, mobile, PC, XR, and industrial apps. As a key tech partner for immersive environments, Unity helps build metaverse experiences and digital twins. Mainstream companies, including Meta, use Unity's technology for its XR package, showing its importance in the metaverse world. In addition, the company's tools help developers create AI-enabled environments with built-in user acquisition and monetization features. The success of its products makes Unity Software one of the best metaverse stocks. Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U) beat expectations in Q4, ending December 31, 2024, with $442 million in strategic portfolio revenue, an increase of 4% from last year. Furthermore, adjusted EBITDA hit $106 million with a 23% margin, and free cash flow more than doubled to $106 million in Q4, reaching $286 million for the full year. Subscription revenue grew 15%, and industry segment revenue jumped 50%, making it Unity's fastest-growing business. Moreover, the new Unity 6 engine gained traction with 2.8 million downloads and quick user adoption. Although Grow Solutions saw just 2% growth to $303 million, Unity is shifting to its new AI-powered platform, 'Unity Vector.' The first phase rollout should finish by Q2 2025, aiming at improving target precision and boosting ad performance through self-learning models. Meanwhile, Unity continues to power about 70% of top mobile games and 30% of top PC games, keeping its strong market position. For Q1 2025, Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U) expects revenue between $405-$415 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $60-$65 million. For now, the advertisement business faces short-term challenges, although Unity continues to focus on AI, XR, and industrial uses to broaden its market appeal. Clients like Toyota and Raytheon highlight the growing demand from businesses beyond the gaming sector. Overall, U ranks 12th on our list of best metaverse stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of U, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than U but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at . 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Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) the Best Metaverse Stock to Invest in?
We recently published a list of . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) stands against other best metaverse stocks to invest in. The metaverse, which comes under the video games industry, is a fast-growing digital frontier where immersive tech creates interactive virtual worlds. It is built on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain, and mixed reality, offering simulated spaces for socializing, working, learning, and playing. Essentially, it blends digital and physical realities to provide customized and immersive experiences via avatars, live communication, and spatial computing. Users no longer just browse static web pages – they move through dynamic 3D environments that mirror and enhance real-world interactions, marking a shift from simple apps to fully immersive virtual spaces. Metaverse is segmented into four types: lifelogging, augmented reality, mirror world, and virtual reality. The metaverse grows mainly by combining content streaming and blockchain infrastructure, where blockchain has improved secure transactions, digital asset ownership, and governance. These systems support user-driven economies where people build, sell, and profit from digital experiences, similar to Roblox. At the same time, the rise of 3D platforms, virtual markets, and gaming worlds drives investment. In 2024, the global video streaming market—crucial for immersive media—hit $674.25 billion. The Business Research Company reports that the global metaverse market is predicted to grow from $227.05 billion in 2024 to $316.34 billion in 2025, with a strong 39.3% CAGR. Whereas, S&P Global Market Intelligence predicts that global metaverse revenue will climb from $17.5 billion in 2023 to $54.5 billion by 2028, growing at a 25.5% CAGR. Businesses became the main customer segment, driven by the need for digital twin software and remote collaboration tools. According to S&P, these businesses strengthened their position in 2023, accounting for 42.8% of the entire metaverse market. As major companies expand virtual platforms and adopt faster streaming, metaverse services strengthen across industries. Moreover, social media and mobile internet have sped up the growth of the virtual ecosystem. With over 2.4 billion users on Meta (previously Facebook) and billions more on WhatsApp and YouTube, the digital world is more connected than ever. The line between digital and physical life keeps blurring as many daily activities—hanging out, entertainment, shopping—are already happening in early metaverse settings. This has sparked the development of virtual learning, workplace collaborative tools, and blockchain-based gaming economies. According to NewGenApps, VR and AR gaming is set to reach 216 million players worldwide by 2025, with a market worth $11.6 billion. Markedly, a 2024 survey revealed that 34% of game developers globally are creating titles for the Meta Quest Store, a digital marketplace, showing strong developer interest in immersive gaming platforms. Furthermore, generative AI is reshaping the next phase of the metaverse, ranging from custom content suggestions to auto-dubbing, editing, and better visuals. Streaming platforms now use large language models like GPT-4 to create real-time content and ensure moderation, making digital interactions safer and more accessible. Although the broader metaverse is still under development, technologies powering virtual economies—such as play-to-earn games, NFT marketplaces, and digital event tickets—already create income opportunities for users and developers. The Entertainment Software Association reported that 227 million Americans play video games every week, with an average age of 31. This shows a growing mainstream adoption of immersive content across different age groups. The combination of AI with VR/AR is helping platforms expand beyond gaming and entertainment into healthcare and business applications. As users want more personalized, high-resolution experiences, metaverse tech is advancing on low-latency infrastructures. Platforms like are changing streaming with super-fast delivery for gaming, education, and live shopping. Initially, the metaverse faced a lot of backlash due to a not-so-appealing experience and inability to connect with users. Despite less public buzz after 2022, progress hasn't stopped—the metaverse is young, with ongoing improvements pushing it forward. These advances, plus the growing demand for video-on-demand services, show how deeply the metaverse fits into digital viewing habits. As North America leads the market, with major players and high digital spending, Asia Pacific is also set for future growth due to the quick adoption of immersive tech. This shows that the metaverse isn't just a passing trend—it is a fundamental shift changing how people live, talk, and connect in digital spaces. As immersive environments disrupt traditional media, the metaverse is becoming a promising investment. To compile our list of the 12 Best Metaverse Stocks to Invest in, we first conducted extensive research to identify companies with significant exposure to the metaverse technology. First, we used stock screeners, ETFs, and online rankings to make an extended list of the relevant companies. Then, we extracted the number of hedge fund holders having a stake in the respective companies as of Q4 2024, using data from Insider Monkey's hedge fund database. The finalists are stocks with the highest hedge fund interest. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). A team of developers working in unison to create the company's messaging application. Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 262 Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) dominates the digital communication and virtual interaction space through its Family of Apps and Reality Labs segments. The Family of Apps includes Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, while Reality Labs is building a metaverse infrastructure via VR, AR, and AI hardware like smart glasses. This portfolio allows META to rank among the best metaverse stocks. For Q4 ending December 31, 2024, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) reported strong results where revenue was up 21% to $48.4 billion. Meanwhile, the operating income reached $23.4 billion, showing a 48% margin, resulting in a net income of $20.8 billion ($8.02/share), beating market expectations. Moreover, Family of Apps brought in $47.3 billion, while Reality Labs added $1.1 billion, although Meta reported a $5 billion operating loss. As a result, free cash flow hit $13.2 billion, with $77.8 billion in cash and marketable securities. Additionally, Meta is pushing forward with its AI and metaverse advancements as Meta AI serves 700M+ monthly users, supported by a 2-gigawatt AI data center and custom AI chips. Moreover, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and AI integration across platforms highlight the company's wearable tech/AI strategy. Simultaneously, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) started integrating Meta AI in Threads, WhatsApp, and Facebook for better engagement. For the first quarter of 2025, Meta projects a revenue between $39.5 billion and $41.8 billion. Despite Reality Labs' losses, a strong app ecosystem, AI adoption, and ad revenue provide cash flow for metaverse R&D. While the company suffers from regulatory challenges and higher CapEx, scale, and early-mover advantage position Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is well-positioned for long-term growth in immersive tech. Overall, META ranks 2nd on our list of best metaverse stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of META, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than META but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at . Sign in to access your portfolio
