Stepping into the metaverse: opportunities and challenges in the future digital reality

This report is available to those subscribed to the Digital Consumer module.
The outbreak of Covid-19 spurred a digital evolution for many citizens, firms and industries. Alongside this, the use of the term ‘metaverse’ surged in 2021. Precisely what the metaverse will become remains to be seen: it may be an all-encompassing futuristic world of virtual reality (VR) and avatars, or alternatively just a richer, more immersive version of today’s online platforms and games, such as Fortnite or Minecraft. However, myriad potential use cases are foreseen as the metaverse unlocks access to new creative, social and economic opportunities. With MWC Barcelona 2022 on the horizon, there is huge interest in understanding and discussing this much-hyped topic and what it could herald.
Related research
Accelerating digital industries in the GCC and wider MENA region: trends shaping the B2B opportunity
GSMA Intelligence surveyed more than 850 enterprises across 10 vertical sectors in eight MENA countries to gain insight into their digital transformation. This report highlights the key findings. As digital industries continue to evolve, the report identifies three B2B opportunities for operators.
Capturing the B2B opportunity: enterprises will spend 10% of their revenues on digital transformation through to 2030
GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at how enterprises plan to distribute their spending on digital transformation through to 2030.
Digital consumer: five trends to watch in 2026
How will the industry evolve in 2026? This series of reports highlights the key trends to watch and the implications for ecosystem players. This report examines the digital consumer area.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn moreRelated research
Accelerating digital industries in the GCC and wider MENA region: trends shaping the B2B opportunity
GSMA Intelligence surveyed more than 850 enterprises across 10 vertical sectors in eight MENA countries to gain insight into their digital transformation. This report highlights the key findings. As digital industries continue to evolve, the report identifies three B2B opportunities for operators.
Capturing the B2B opportunity: enterprises will spend 10% of their revenues on digital transformation through to 2030
GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at how enterprises plan to distribute their spending on digital transformation through to 2030.
Digital consumer: five trends to watch in 2026
How will the industry evolve in 2026? This series of reports highlights the key trends to watch and the implications for ecosystem players. This report examines the digital consumer area.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics
