Will Metaverse Be NextG Internet? Vision, Hype, and Reality
Open accessAbstract
Metaverse, with the combination of the prefix “meta” (meaning transcending) and the word “universe,” has been deemed as a hypothetical next-generation (NextG) Internet. It aims to create a shared virtual space that connects all virtual worlds via the Internet, where users, represented as digital avatars, can communicate and collaborate as if they are in the physical world. Nevertheless, there is still no unified definition of the Metaverse. This article first reviews what has been heavily advocated by the industry and the positions of various high-tech companies. It then presents our vision of what the key requirements of Metaverse should be. After that, it briefly introduces existing social virtual reality (VR) platforms that can be viewed as early prototypes of the Metaverse, and conducts a reality check by diving into the network operation and performance of two representative platforms: Workrooms from Meta and AltspaceVR from Microsoft. Finally, it concludes by discussing several opportunities and future directions for further innovation.
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Individuals can experience psychological and physiological responses to virtual events as though they occurred in the physical world.
“Research shows that individuals can experience psychological and physiological responses to virtual events as though they occurred in the physical world (Cheng et al., 2022; Patel, 2021), raising urgent questions about harm, consent, and protection in immersive spaces.”
From Virtual Reality Risks for Children in the Metaverse: An Examination through Criminological Perspectives (2026) · cites this paper as Cheng et al., 2022
Section IV (p. 4) says social VR gives users a sense of spatial presence and lets them interact as if they were in the physical world. That supports an aspect of the claimed experience, but the paper does not report psychological and physiological responses to virtual events comparable to responses to physical events. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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BackgroundMetaverse in surgery — origins and future potential
Checcucci, E., Veccia, A., Puliatti, S., Backer, P. D., Piazza, P., Kowalewski, K., Rodler, S., Taratkin, M., Belenchon, I. R., Baekelandt, L., et al. (2024) · Nature reviews. Urology · doi:10.1038/s41585-024-00941-4 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“…(1–6 GHz), usually used in metropolitan areas; and high-band (also known as millimetre-wave, 24–39 GHz), which can reach a maximum throughput of 10–20 Gbps, but only works within a small radius and, therefore, is particularly useful in urban areas and crowded locations (such as shopping malls) 18 .”
An Anti-Disguise Authentication System Using the First Impression of Avatar in Metaverse
Zhang, Z.-Y., Yang, K.-D., Tian, Y.-L., & Ma, J.-F. (2024) · IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security · doi:10.1109/tifs.2024.3410527 · Cited by 22
“With the development of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), the metaverse becomes the highly-qualified second living space of human beings’ coexistence with the physical world [6], [7].”
BackgroundAn eXtended Reality Offloading IP Traffic Dataset and Models
Morín, D. G., Medda, D., Iossifides, A. C., Chatzimisios, P., Armada, A. G., Villegas, Á., & Pérez, P. (2023) · IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing · doi:10.1109/tmc.2023.3326893 · Cited by 22
“In particular, Meta has decided to focus heavily on the metaverse concept, thus, boosting the interest in these technologies, their potential use cases, and related issues [2].”
BackgroundBarriers to the adoption of the Metaverse in digital supply chains
Butt, A. S., Alghababsheh, M., & Awan, U. (2025) · Journal of Enterprise Information Management · doi:10.1108/jeim-09-2024-0500 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
A seamless authentication for intra and inter metaverse platforms using blockchain
Jebri, S., Amor, A. B., & Zidi, S. (2024) · Comput. Networks · doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2024.110460 · Cited by 19
A prospective vision of the evolution of immersive technologies: Towards a definition of metaverse
Bénaben, F., Congès, A., & Fertier, A. (2025) · Technovation · doi:10.1016/j.technovation.2024.103154 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Singla, A., Gupta, N., Aeron, P., Jain, A., Garg, R. J., Sharma, D., Gupta, B. B., & Arya, V. (2023) · Journal of Global Information Management · doi:10.4018/jgim.321755 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“We use the term metaverse architecture to refer to the physical computing infrastructure (servers, network, sensors, and input and output devices, etc.) and its logical structuring through the use of appropriate protocols (Cheng et al., 2022).”
MethodWang, Y., He, Y., Yu, F. R., Song, B., & Leung, V. C. M. (2023) · IEEE Wireless Communications · doi:10.1109/mwc.009.2300029 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Internet and mobile networks, providing users with a three-dimensional virtual world where they their digital avatars [1].”
BackgroundOpen Metaverse: Issues, Evolution, and Future
Chen, Z., Gan, W., Sun, J., Wu, J., & Yu, P. S. (2024) · International World Wide Web Conference (WWW) · doi:10.1145/3589335.3651898 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“In other words, with the development of data science [10], [11], [12], big data [13], [14], artificial intelligence (AI) [15], 5G [16], blockchain [17], Internet of Things (IoT) [18], interactive technologies including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and extended reality (XR) [19], We…”
BackgroundEdge Computing for Semantic Communication Enabled Metaverse: An Incentive Mechanism DesignPreprint
Luong, N. C., Pham, Q., Huynh‐The, T., Nguyen, V., Ng, D. W. K., & Chatzinotas, S. (2022) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2212.06463 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“To make the Metaverse a reality, advanced and computation-intense capabilities of computing severs are required to deliver near “zero” latency services [14].”
BackgroundZhang, G., Bhagat, S., Lee, S., Kim, D. W., & Kim, D. J. (2024) · Decision Support Systems · doi:10.1016/j.dss.2024.114383 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
The real ethical problem with metaverses
Munn, N., & Weijers, D. (2023) · Frontiers in Human Dynamics · doi:10.3389/fhumd.2023.1226848 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Metaverse for Industry 5.0 in NextG Communications: Potential Applications and Future Challenges
Prabadevi, B., Deepa, N., Victor, N., Gadekallu, T., Maddikunta, P., Yenduri, G., Wang, W., Pham, Q.-V., Huynh-The, T., & Liyanage, M. (2023) · arXiv.org · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2308.02677 · Cited by 16
“Due to this advanced virtual technology, the user obsession to the metaverse is inevitable in future [137].”
BackgroundMetaverse for Exercise Rehabilitation: Possibilities and Limitations
Cho, K.-H., Park, J.-B., & Kang, A. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20085483 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“As VR is a major component of the metaverse [15], it has become a promising area of health and science research [16].”
BackgroundMahmoud, A. B. (2024) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104498 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Process Manufacturing Intelligence Empowered by Industrial Metaverse: A Survey
Luo, W., Huang, K., Liang, X., Ren, H., Zhou, N., Zhang, C., Yang, C., & Gui, W. (2024) · IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics · doi:10.1109/tcyb.2024.3420958 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“But the potential issue industrial metaverse face is scalability in future large-scale connectivity tasks [29].”
BackgroundStudy on Empowering Cyber Security by Using Adaptive Machine Learning Methods
Gonaygunta, H., Nadella, G. S., Pawar, P. P., & Kumar, D. (2024) · Systems and Information Engineering Design Symposium · doi:10.1109/sieds61124.2024.10534694 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“The next generation of Internet users was dubbed the Metaverse [10].”
BackgroundQian, L., Liu, C., & Zhao, J. (2024) · IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications · doi:10.1109/twc.2024.3401184 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“But, setting up user connections and managing resources in a Metaverse that uses blockchain reveals many complex challenges [12], [13], [14].”
The psychological and functional factors driving metaverse resistance
Lee, M., & Chaney, D. (2023) · Internet Research · doi:10.1108/intr-08-2022-0647 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
The metaverse, online communities, and (real) urban space
Hamurcu, A. (2022) · Urbani Izziv · doi:10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2022-33-02-01 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Park & Kim, 2022: 4211), which is to be supported by 5G and mobile immersive computing (Cheng et al., 2022).”
InfluentialANCHOR-Grid: Authenticating Smart Grid Digital Twins Using Real-World Anchors
Hatami, M., Qu, Q., Chen, Y., Mohammadi, J., Blasch, E., & Ardiles-Cruz, E. (2025) · Italian National Conference on Sensors · doi:10.3390/s25102969 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“As a virtual extension of our social and professional lives, the Metaverse redefines how we live, work, and socialize by enabling seamless interweaving of the physical world with a virtual cyberspace [4].”
Singh, M., & Sun, D. (2025) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2025.2459200 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“…and were encouraged to work together on collaborative group projects within the Minecraft world, which are considered to be essential STEM skills (Beyerlein & Han, 2017) and thus promote a sense of shared experience and collaboration among the students, similar to a metaverse (Cheng et al., 2022).”
Rawat, D. B., Alami, H. E., & Hagos, D. (2024) · arXiv.org · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2405.04718 · Cited by 14
“Several technologies are used by metaverse platforms to address this challenge, including distributed computing, cloud computing, and blockchain technology, to optimize data processing and management [93].”
MethodIsmail, L., & Buyya, R. (2023) · arXiv.org · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2308.10559 · Cited by 14
“will be stored and processed on multiple network-wide peer servers and then combined on a centralized server to render the virtual world [82].”
BackgroundMetaverse Services: The Way of Services Towards the Future
Xu, X.-F., Sheng, Q. Z., Benatallah, B., Chen, Z., Gazda, R., Saddik, A., & Singh, M. P. (2023) · 2023 IEEE International Conference on Web Services (ICWS) · doi:10.1109/icws60048.2023.00037 · Cited by 14
“With the push of the major tech giants, e.g., Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Google, NVIDIA, Tencent, Tiktok, Baidu, Roblox, NetEase, more and more Internet and game software companies have engaged in the metaverse related fields, to explore the opportunities and to work on the challenges [7], [8].”
BackgroundCan We Revitalize Interventional Healthcare with AI-XR Surgical Metaverses?
Qayyum, A., Bilal, M., Hadi, M., Capik, P., Caputo, M., Vohra, H. A., Al‐Fuqaha, A., & Qadir, J. (2023) · IEEE International Conference on Metaverse Computing, Networking and Applications (MetaCom) · doi:10.1109/metacom57706.2023.00091 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“While there is no universally agreed-upon definition for the term metaverse in the literature [4], in general, the metaverse envisions a virtual”
BackgroundImpact of the metaverse on sustainability in the construction industry
Ertz, M., Ouerghemmi, C., & Njika, Y. N. (2024) · Sustainable Futures · doi:10.1016/j.sftr.2024.100335 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Preference in Voice Commands and Gesture Controls With Hands-Free Augmented Reality With Novel Users
Korkiakoski, M., Alavesa, P., & Kostakos, P. (2024) · IEEE pervasive computing · doi:10.1109/mprv.2024.3364541 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Space Authentication in the Metaverse: A Blockchain-Based User-Centric Approach
Seo, J., Ko, H., & Park, S. (2024) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2024.3357938 · Cited by 13
“It is a multidimensional spatial world where users can interact with each other [2] and constitutes a fusion of all digital spaces interconnected through the internet [3].”
BackgroundAl-Adwan, A., & Abdeljaber, O. (2025) · International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management · doi:10.1108/ijieom-06-2025-0113 · Cited by 12
Alawadh, M., & Barnawi, A. (2025) · Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research · doi:10.3390/jtaer20020063 · Cited by 12
“…reliable internet connections that are essential for seamless Metaverse experiences, allowing for smooth interactions and real-time data transfer [28,29]. internet connections that are essential for seamless Metaverse experiences, allowing for smooth interactions and real-time data transfer…”
Alshammari, S., & Alshammari, M. H. (2024) · PeerJ Computer Science · doi:10.7717/peerj-cs.2331 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
The First Principles: Setting the Context for a Safe and Secure Metaverse
Gupta, A. K., Sawhney, S., & Kompella, K. (2024) · ACM Computing Surveys · doi:10.1145/3665495 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“These range from dismissing it as hype [25] to pointing out that the true metaverse is currently technically infeasible due to communication latency limitations [6, 15] to questioning the very premise of the metaverse [65].”
Farhi, F. (2024) · Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Development · doi:10.24294/jipd.v8i3.2594 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“However, the relevant concept further accelerated and made a prominent place in technology after 2018 when Cline’s book “The Ready Player One” was converted into a movie in 2018 and became a center of attention for the public (Cheng et al., 2022).”
BackgroundNetworking Parallel Web3 Metaverses for Interoperability
Chi, Y., Duan, H., Cai, W., Wang, Z. J., & Leung, V. C. M. (2023) · IEEE Network · doi:10.1109/mnet.2023.3320660 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Meanwhile, metaverse residents possess the freedom to create user-generated content (UGC) in the form of digital assets, which can be traded through smart contracts within the decentralized crypto space without the fear of unwarranted deprivation [4].”
When MetaVerse Meets Computing Power Networking: An Energy-Efficient Framework For Service Placement
Lin, L., Chen, Y., Zhou, Z., Li, P., & Xiong, J. (2023) · IEEE Wireless Communications · doi:10.1109/mwc.016.2300111 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Given the rapid advancements in and machine learning, video analytics fi nds diverse applications within the Metaverse, contributing data-driven insights, enriched user experiences, the creation of immersive and interactive environments [12].”
BackgroundA Cross-platform Metaverse Data Management System
Chen, B.-H., Song, C., Lin, B., Xu, X., Tang, R., Lin, Y., Yao, Y., Timoney, J., & Bi, T. (2022) · 2022 IEEE International Conference on Metrology for Extended Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Neural Engineering (MetroXRAINE) · doi:10.1109/metroxraine54828.2022.9967588 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“One of the three key components is Omniverse Nucleus, a database engine that allows multiple users to connect and create a scene together [8].”
BackgroundA Systematic Exploration of Edge Computing-Enabled Metaverse
Tang, C., Wu, H.-M., Li, R.-D., Zhu, C., & Rodrigues, J. J. P. C. (2023) · IEEE Network · doi:10.1109/mnet.2023.3321541 · Cited by 10
“Cheng et al. [1] discussed the metaverse in detail.”
BackgroundInfluentialSi, P., Qian, L., Zhao, J., & Lam, K. (2023) · IEEE Network · doi:10.1109/mnet.011.2300032 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“generate the digital duality of the physical world and provide users with immersive experience through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and other novel techniques [1].”
BackgroundThe Work Avatar Face-Off: Knowledge Worker Preferences for Realism in Meetings
Phadnis, V. S., Moore, K., & González-Franco, M. (2023) · International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality · doi:10.1109/ismar59233.2023.00112 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“And lastly, the recent upsurge of VR head mounted device (HMD) launches has revived interest in VR and in avatars [15].”
BackgroundMetaverse and Museum: a Case Study
Cecere, L., Colace, F., Gupta, B. B., Lorusso, A., Messina, B., & Valentino, C. (2024) · Procedia Structural Integrity · doi:10.1016/j.prostr.2024.09.336 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Embracing the new reality: Gen Y’s intention to use metaverse apps and devices
Zhang, J.-L., Quoquab, F., & Mohammad, J. (2024) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-024-07160-5 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“As the development of technologies (virtual reality and computer graphics), metaverse has been regarded as the future of the internet (Cheng et al., 2022).”
Mulvaney, P., Rooney, B., Friehs, M. A., & Leader, J. F. (2024) · Virtual Reality · doi:10.1007/s10055-024-00941-0 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Hello, GenAI? Dissecting Human to Generative AI Calling
Cheng, R.-Z., Pathak, S., Xie, G.-W., Varvello, M., Chen, S.-Q., & Han, B. (2025) · ACM/SIGCOMM Internet Measurement Conference · doi:10.1145/3730567.3764441 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“Other studies have focused on immersive telepresence systems [25] and social virtual reality platforms in the metaverse [23, 24, 61], investigating their latency, bandwidth demands, and resiliency.”
Self-citationKrishnan, C., Sahdev, S. L., & Mariappan, J. (2024) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2024.2428110 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“This observation supports prior research by Cheng et al. (2022), which found that interactive and immersive learning experiences improve student interest and encourage deeper involvement in the educational process.”
InfluentialAhmad, K., Sharma, B. K., Khatwani, R. A., Mishra, M., & Mitra, P. K. (2024) · International Journal of Tourism Cities · doi:10.1108/ijtc-11-2023-0232 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Customer Service Ethics in the Metaverse: A Value-Sensitive Design Science Approach
Sonntag, M., Schuir, J., Mehmann, J., & Teuteberg, F. (2023) · International journal of human computer interactions · doi:10.1080/10447318.2023.2298533 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“With the help of these technologies, users can enter worlds through the use of avatars (Cheng et al., 2022).”
Metaverse search system: Architecture, challenges, and potential applications
Yang, S., Joo, H.-J., & Kim, J. (2023) · ICT express · doi:10.1016/j.icte.2023.12.006 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
VR Traffic Dataset on Broad Range of End-User Activities
Polupanova, M. (2023) · International Conference on Data Technologies and Applications · doi:10.3390/data8080132 · Cited by 8
- Authors
- Cheng, R., Wu, N., Chen, S., & Han, B.
- Affiliations
- George Mason University (US)
- Venue
- IEEE Network
- Published
- 2022-09
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 197-204
- ISSN
- 0890-8044 (ISSN-L)
- 1558-156X
- OpenAlex
- W4294643390
- Cited by
- 280
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 87 · 2023: 88 · 2022: 21
- FWCI
- 32.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Licence
- Locations
- IEEE Network (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Software-Defined Networks and 5G
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Control and Systems Engineering › Simulation and Modeling Applications
- Keywords
- metaverse, virtual worlds, social virtual reality, avatars, network performance, workrooms, remote collaboration
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