Drivers and Barriers Affecting Metaverse Adoption: A Systematic Review, Theoretical Framework, and Avenues for Future Research

AbstractThe Metaverse holds immense potential for individuals, organizations, and society, providing immersive and innovative experiences. However, its adoption is a complex process influenced by various factors yet to be thoroughly understood. Therefore, this systematic review aims to identify and classify the drivers and barriers affecting Metaverse adoption. Of the 279 papers gathered from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, 29 studies fulfilled the eligibility requirements and underwent a detailed analysis. The identified factors in the selected studies were classified into distinct categories, including motivational and psychological factors, social factors, technological and Metaverse-related characteristics, learning experience-related factors, inhibitors, privacy and security factors, conditional factors, quality factors, economic-related factors, and personalization and immersion-related factors. We have then proposed a comprehensive Metaverse adoption framework based on this taxonomy to guide future empirical studies. We have also suggested several agendas as a road map for future research on Metaverse adoption. Based on these findings, the review presents several theoretical contributions and practical implications for Metaverse developers and marketers.Keywords: DriversbarriersMetaversetechnology adoptionsystematic reviewtheoretical frameworkresearch agenda AcknowledgementsThis work was supported by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and UNITEN through the BOLD Refresh Postdoctoral Fellowships under the project code of J510050002-IC-6 BOLDREFRESH2025-Centre of Excellence.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and UNITEN through the BOLD Refresh Postdoctoral Fellowships under the project code of J510050002-IC-6 BOLDREFRESH2025-Centre of Excellence.Notes on contributorsMohammed A. Al-SharafiMohammed A. Al-Sharafi is a PhD holder in Information Systems, currently working at the Institute of Informatics and Computing in Energy at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. His current research explores the impacts of emerging technologies on socio-economic and environmental sustainability, and he is proficient in applying Quantitative Methods in IS research.Mostafa Al-EmranMostafa Al-Emran is an Assistant Professor at The British University in Dubai. He is among the top 2% scientists in the world, according to the reports published by Stanford University in October 2020, 2021, and 2022. He has over 135 publications, including journal articles, books, conferences, book chapters, and editorials.Noor Al-QaysiNoor Al-Qaysi is a PhD holder in Information Technology Education, currently working as a research fellow at the Institute of Informatics and Computing in Energy at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. Her research interests include educational technology and human–computer interaction.Mohammad IranmaneshMohammad Iranmanesh is an Associate Professor attached to the La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University. He has published more than 100 articles in a range of leading academic journals. Mohammad was named in the Top 40 Australia's early achievers (Rising Stars) of 2020.Nazrita IbrahimNazrita Ibrahim is a PhD holder in Visual Informatics, currently serving as a senior lecturer and research fellow at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. She specializes in user experience design and information visualization. She is currently exploring sustainability, focusing on energy decarbonization and its association with human behavior.