Reconceptualizing the metaverse: A taxonomy for user experience analysis and insights from real-world platforms

Sunyoung Park, Dongjae Kim, Euiseog Jeong, Dahye Jeong and Eunil Park

Technology in Society, 2025, vol. 81, issue C

Abstract: While academia and industry share a common interest in the metaverse, there is a notable lack of consensus on its terminology. To bridge this gap, we propose a more suitable method for user experience analysis by integrating academic insights with real-world services. To this end, we developed a user experience-focused taxonomy by synthesizing academic perspectives and validating it across eight real-world platforms. In addition, we employ word co-occurrence network analysis to identify the primary concerns and opinions of real-world users. Our findings reveal that academia conceptualizes the metaverse through an idealized lens, emphasizing technical and functional aspects. However, real-world services do not necessarily adhere to the requirements outlined in academic definitions. For users, key concerns center on platform-specific characteristics, challenges, reliability, and privacy rather than technical factors. These results provide valuable insights by clarifying the metaverse’s definition and advocating for a more user-centered approach to its analysis and development.

Keywords: Metaverse; User experience; Taxonomy; Review analysis; Co-occurrence network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:teinso:v:81:y:2025:i:c:s0160791x25000429

DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102852

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