Unravelling the techno-functional building blocks of metaverse ecosystems – A review and research agenda

The metaverse as a hyper-connected digital cosmos, holds great potential for reshaping the future of business and consumer interactions in a world where different virtual realities blend into one another. The potential of the metaverse is growing because more people are spending time and doing business in digital spaces. Firms are also investing heavily for developing technologies for the metaverse. Digital technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and blockchain are being utilised in metaverse ecosystems to improve user experiences. This study undertakes a literature review to understand the influence of emerging technologies in shaping the functional blocks of the metaverse environment by analysing 70 papers. Findings are reported in technology themes as well as functional themes. Currently functional research in metaverse is limited. Further this editorial presents a strong research agenda for future studies when the focus on metaverse ecosystems.