Editorial for the Special Issue “Virtual Reality and Metaverse: Impact on the Digital Transformation of Society—2nd Edition”

Virtual reality (VR) is transforming society by enabling the development of diverse applications across a wide range of fields. Public perception of this technology has evolved over time, and it is now increasingly regarded as a resource with significant potential [1]. Meanwhile, the metaverse—an interconnected virtual environment that goes beyond conventional VR—has emerged as a concept poised to redefine the ways in which individuals interact, work, and participate in digital environments. Although still in its early stages of development, the metaverse is generating growing interest from both technological and societal perspectives, indicating a potentially profound impact on society as a whole. This Special Issue, entitled “Virtual Reality and Metaverse: Impact on the Digital Trans-formation of Society—2nd Edition” and published in the Journal of Future Internet, covers recent trends and advancements in the field of VR and metaverse usage for the digital transformation of society. We received 18 submissions. Following the initial screening and peer review process, nine papers were ultimately accepted for publication, eight were rejected, and one underwent an incomplete review process due to the authors’ decision to withdraw. The accepted articles can be classified into two categories: (i) three reviews and (ii) six scientific papers.

Mottura’s review [2] explores the rise of the “social” metaverse, emphasizing Meta’s leading role in its development and noting the limited research on public opinion regarding such platforms. While the existing literature largely focuses on the technical, business, and ethical aspects of the metaverse, little attention has been paid to societal demand for a social metaverse. To address this, the author analyzes how major ICT companies engage with the metaverse and introduces a preliminary Likert scale questionnaire to assess public attitudes. Despite acknowledging its early-stage nature and limitations, the study provides a foundation for examining societal acceptance of digital social environments and encourages further investigation. Another review, by Hatami et al. [3], surveys the development of real-time metaverse technologies, which evolve beyond static virtual environments by integrating real-world data dynamically. It explores key enablers like advanced sensors, AI, edge computing, and 5G, which enable low-latency synchronization between physical and digital spaces. The study [3] highlights potential applications in areas such as entertainment, education, and urban planning, while addressing critical challenges like latency, security, and interoperability. It calls for ongoing innovation and collaboration to build a secure, scalable, and inclusive metaverse. Future research should focus on standards, 6G, multisensory integration, and ethical considerations. On the other hand, the third review, authored by Lampropoulos [4], offers an overview of the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with extended reality (XR) technologies and the metaverse, based on an analysis of 880 articles from 2015 to 2024. This field is rapidly growing (with a 91.29% annual increase) and shows significant potential across sectors, especially education, healthcare, generative AI, virtual worlds, human–computer interactions, and industry. The results highlight the broad applicability of AI in XR, though the area is still developing. The study notes its own limitations, particularly the scope of literature reviewed, and calls for deeper, domain-specific analyses and the development of robust frameworks addressing technical, ethical, and evaluation challenges.

The scientific articles presented in this Special Issue also address topics related to the metaverse. For example, the study [5] examines global online search behavior for “metaverse” and “fashion” using Google Trends throughout 2022. It finds increasing consumer interest in these terms, though user patterns differ across Google’s platforms (Search, YouTube, Images, News, Shopping). The metaverse is highlighted as a transformative force for fashion brands, offering new engagement and commerce opportunities but also introducing challenges like potential addiction and misinformation risks. Key recommendations include developing platform-specific marketing and SEO strategies tailored to each audience. The scope was limited to Google Trends and two keywords, suggesting the need for broader future research on other platforms and with more keywords. On the other hand, another paper [6] examines cybersecurity, privacy, and confidentiality challenges in Mixed Reality and metaverse environments. Key risks include data breaches, authentication issues, and threats to user anonymity due to sensitive data exchange. The authors review secure design, encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regulations to mitigate vulnerabilities; their recommendations focus on data protection, transparency, user consent, security updates, and privacy compliance. The study highlights the need for ongoing research to counter evolving threats and stresses the importance of robust security frameworks for building trust and enabling the safe adoption of MR and metaverse technologies.

This Special Issue also contains papers directly related to VR and augmented reality (AR). Regarding VR, the paper [7] compares university professors’ perceptions of VR as an educational tool both in Latin American countries that are members of CABEI and those that are not, based on a questionnaire administered to 1246 educators. Professors from CABEI countries rated VR usability higher and perceived fewer disadvantages, although their improvement in digital competence significantly exceeded the increase in positive VR valuation. The gap between private and public university professors was more pronounced in CABEI countries, favoring private institutions. Nevertheless, actual VR adoption remains limited, as the increase in favorable VR perception is just over 3%. The study recommends increased investment and the development of specific protocols to enhance VR integration, particularly in public universities, while acknowledging that factors beyond CABEI membership may influence these outcomes, consistent with previous studies [8].

Another study [9] evaluates the use of VR video games to teach direct current electrical circuits at a Colombian public university, employing a mixed-methods action research approach. The results show that VR significantly enhances student comprehension, motivation, and engagement compared to traditional methods, while promoting equitable access to advanced learning tools. The VR application demonstrated safety and comfort, though moderation in usage is advised. Challenges include the need for robust technological infrastructure and curriculum adaptation. The study highlights VR’s potential to transform technical education and calls for further research on long-term learning outcomes and broader applicability.

On the other hand, regarding AR, user perceptions of privacy protection in AR environments are examined in [10], focusing on three visual obfuscation techniques: blurring, masking, and pixelation. The survey results reveal that preferences vary by context and user demographics, with blurring favored for its aesthetics, masking viewed as most secure but less appealing, and pixelation ranked in the middle. Familiarity with AR influences acceptance, with more experienced users preferring blurring. These findings inform the design of privacy-preserving AR applications that balance security and usability, crucial for adoption across sectors like education and healthcare. Finally, CityBuildAR—a mobile AR app—is presented in [11]. This app allows users, especially those with limited design knowledge, to visualize and contribute to public space design. Tested at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, this study found that non-professionals favored greener spaces and found the app more useful for expressing ideas compared to professionals. CityBuildAR enhances community engagement in placemaking by bridging the gap between experts and the public. Technical issues like plane detection errors and crashes limited design detail.