The metaverse may not be as exciting as it once was, but don’t write it off just yet. After all, the metaverse still offers massive opportunities, especially in some of the best metaverse stocks to buy now.

In fact, thanks to generative AI, the metaverse may be closer to realization than ever before. That’s according to a new report from Activate Consulting. For one, the report notes there will be more than 600 million metaverse users by 2026. In fact, “there are already 300M+ active users in Metaverse video games and virtual world platforms; with Generative AI as the enabler, we forecast that there will be over 600M people in the Metaverse within three years,” they added.

Even better, AI is expected to accelerate the development of the metaverse with a combination of immersive virtual worlds and games, social interactions, virtual economies, and AI-enabled user creation.  In short, while the metaverse story has been a volatile one, now’s not the time to write it off. Thanks to AI, the market could have an exciting future. And perhaps Mark Zuckerberg’s big bets on the metaverse will finally pay off.

Here are three of the best metaverse stocks to buy now, in my view.

Nvidia (NVDA)

The last time I mentioned Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), it traded at $285 on May 10. Today, even at $385 a share, it’s still a bargain.

For one, it’s deeply involved in a trillion-dollar AI boom in the making. In fact, thanks to AI, NVDA just blew earnings out of the water. First quarter earnings per share of $1.09 handily beat expectations by 17 cents. Revenue of $7.19 billion also beat consensus estimates by a whopping $670 million. Additionally, Nvidia even saw record data center revenue of $4.28 billion.

But this is just the start. As AI changes nearly everything in every sector, it could create a potential $1.81 trillion market by 2030, according to Grand View Research.

Second, the company’s Omniverse platform allows users to create and simulate virtual worlds in the metaverse. With it, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), for example, is creating AI-powered digital twins of its warehouses, improving warehouse design and workflows, and training smarter robotics solutions. In short, when it comes to AI and the metaverse, NVDA is a must-own stock.

Finally, this computing powerhouse provides the processing power needed to run AI applications, and could see a significant revenue and share price boost because of the metaverse. Better, analysts love the stock. HSBC recently upgraded NVDA stock to a buy with a target of $355 per share.

Roblox (RBLX)

The last time I mentioned Roblox (NYSE:RBLX), it traded at $37.  It’s now trading slightly higher, though I think this stock could soon refill its bearish gap around $46 a share. In fact, I believe it’s heading even higher.

Indeed, Roblox is the closest thing to a mainstream metaverse. With a mission to build a human co-experience platform that enables billions of users to come together to play, learn, communicate and explore, it’s one of the top metaverse stocks to consider.

Importantly, analysts also love the stock. Following mixed earnings in May, Roth MKM analysts upgraded the Roblox stock to a buy rating, with a price target of $48. The firm also raised its adjusted earnings estimates. Benchmark analysts also upgraded RBLX to a buy rating, with a $45 price target, encouraged by the company’s advertising efforts.

Even more impressive, Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki was upbeat on the company’s advertising operations, as noted by Barron’s.

“What is much bigger and more disruptive is the notion of gently offering advertisers the ability to bring people to their experience and explore it in 3D. We’ve already shared some of our partnerships, Nike Vans World, Gucci Garden, the NFL experience. These are called portal ads, and these allow in a native noninvasive way for users who are hanging on Roblox who might want to jump into that experience, to go there and experience it.”

Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (METV)

Or, you can always pick up a hot metaverse ETF, such as the Roundhilll Ball Metaverse ETF (NYSEARCA:METV). Since the start of the year, this exchange traded fund ran from a low of about $7 to around $10 apeice.  From here, I’d like to see it double, if not triple with patience.

METV tracks the Ball Metaverse Index, which, according to Roundhill Investments, is the first index globally designed to track the performance of the Metaverse. The Index consists of companies developing infrastructure essential to the metaverse, gaming engines responsible for the creation of virtual worlds, and leaders in content, commerce, and social parts of the metaverse.

In addition, it’s benefiting from Citi (NYSE:C) estimates for an $8 to 13 trillion total addressable market for the Metaverse by 2030, including 5 billion unique users. Citi research calls for 900 million to 1 billion virtual and augmented reality users by 2030.

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