The best metaverse stocks give you access to some of the cutting-edge companies that likely will be the future of the internet. These companies have massive potential as providers of emerging technology and platforms for building and running those spaces. 

The metaverse itself is still in its early stages of development, but its potential is significant. Companies are building immersive platforms for online entertainment that include virtual gaming experiences and socializing.

Some companies view the metaverse differently as more of a platform for work, education, and commerce. Time will tell where the most successful metaverse companies focus but for now, a few major names have emerged as the best metaverse stocks to buy now. 

AI, virtual reality, and augmented reality continue to gain ground and metaverse stocks should see considerable growth as a result. 

Meta Platforms (META) 

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) stock has found itself much maligned since its pivot and rebrand. Investors wondered aloud whether the former Facebook had overestimated the potential of the metaverse in renaming itself. That alone caused a flight of capital from the stock. Factors including ad spending slowdown throughout 2022 helped to accelerate worries for investors. 

Meta did a lot to reverse that continuous downward trajectory on Feb. 2 when it revealed cost-cutting efforts and shareholder-friendly decisions. CEO Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly noted efforts to increase efficiency moving forward to include further job cuts after the company let 11,000 workers go in November.

Meta also enacted a $40 billion stock buyback meaning current shareholders’ equity stakes are suddenly worth more. 

Meta Platforms performed better than expected with top-line results of $32.17 billion. However, it was still the third consecutive quarter of declining sales for the company. Reality Labs, its metaverse reporting division, accounted for $727 million in sales leading to a loss of $4.28 billion.

Given the overall positive results, Meta is likely to receive less consternation moving forward as it continues to develop its suite of metaverse products and services.

Roblox (RBLX)

Roblox (NYSE:RBLX) stock is interesting metaverse play because the company has developed a popular platform for creating and playing online games and virtual experiences.

The stock is relatively young, having gone public in early 2021. Its price has swung wildly with overarching metaverse narratives since then. But share prices are lower now making the stock a reasonable consideration. 

The good news for Roblox is that post-pandemic narratives that had plagued the company, sending prices lower have reversed. During the pandemic, Roblox saw demand rise as users flocked to its platform while largely shut inside. Then those trends reversed as the world reopened as the pandemic waned. Investors worried that Roblox might not rebound. 

But that doesn’t seem to be the case as December hours logged on the platform increased to 4.7 billion, or by 21%. The company is slated to report Q4 and full-year earnings on Feb. 15 and if December user growth is any indication, earlier fears were overblown.

NVDA (NVDA) 

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) stock is primarily known as a semiconductor company but its business is expansive, covering broad areas across hardware and software. That includes gaming and virtual reality. 

In the metaverse, Nvidia provides technology that helps developers build and run virtual worlds. This includes graphics processing units (GPUs) that are designed to handle the complex demands of real-time rendering of the graphics seen throughout metaverse virtual experiences.

Nvidia invented GPU back in 1999 and the company expects that GPU will act as the brain for computers as it relates to AI. Nvidia also touches on artificial intelligence and data management as it relates to the metaverse. 

Nvidia’s Omniverse Platform is the company’s toolset for building the 3D internet that is the metaverse. The platform is built on Pixar’s technology and can allow AI capabilities for developers. Enterprises are utilizing Omniverse to build large-scale digital twins to build virtual simulations that are synchronous with the real world in real time.  

On the date of publication, Alex Sirois did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.