Real-time networking is network infrastructure and protocol design oriented around minimising latency and jitter so that data reaches recipients within tight time budgets, as required by interactive applications such as social VR and telecollaboration. It typically combines low-latency transport protocols, regional server placement and prioritised message delivery to keep round-trip times within the tens of milliseconds needed for a sense of co-presence. Metaverse platforms depend on real-time networking to synchronise avatar movement, voice and shared object state across participants.