Top metaverse platforms in 2025, rise of spatial computing

Metaverse becomes 'spatial computing'

When an emerging technology starts to mature, "the lingo goes from long-winded to short," said Mike Bechtel, chief futurist at Deloitte Consulting. This is what's happening with the technologies that constitute the metaverse. Instead of using terms such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality, spatial computing is the term that "seems to finally get us close to the mark" of what the metaverse is about, Bechtel said.

All of this, he added, is to say that the metaverse -- or rather spatial computing -- "is proving to be less about headsets and lenses and hand-waving gear and more about the idea that reality itself is becoming a canvas for digital; our physical environment isn't going to be abandoned for an escapist metaverse."

AI as the new UI for spatial computing

While the metaverse continues to be something of a Wild West in terms of data interoperability and integration, that is "getting cleaned up," Bechtel said. "Where it's all headed is … AI is going to become the new UI, and that's kind of a mind-bender."

The nature of work, in particular, will change as spatial computing takes hold, according to Deloitte's 2024 Spatial Computing white paper, which looks at the space through 2030 and beyond. The report stated that spatial computing's ability to seamlessly bridge the physicality of the real world with digital inputs in one blended interface "has the potential to revolutionize the way we work."

Indeed, the firm predicted that, in the next five-plus years, spatial computing may be embedded in every stage of the planning and production process -- from product design to industrial operations, workforce training and beyond.

Embedding spatial computing in business processes will introduce a "sixth sense" through neurotechnology, i.e., technology that monitors, analyzes and modifies the brain and nervous system, according to Deloitte. Digital experiences are becoming multisensory, creating an "internet of senses" that will gradually replicate the five senses into the digital world. "These advancements can revolutionize accessibility, efficiency, and communication, but require new considerations for digital equity," the white paper noted.

Gartner also sees momentum building for the metaverse, citing spatial computing as one of its top trends for 2025. By 2033, the firm predicted spatial computing will grow to $1.7 trillion, up from $110 billion in 2023.

Top metaverse platforms to know about in 2025

Here is an annotated list of vendor platforms, grouped by category type.

Roblox, Fortnite and Meta Horizon

Roblox, Fortnite and Meta Horizon, which includes Horizon Worlds and Horizon Workrooms, were solid metaverse platforms in 2024, and they remain tried and true for 2025.

Unlike Horizon Workrooms, which is Meta's metaverse application designed for professional collaboration, Roblox and Fortnite are "not enterprise candidates," observed Eric Abbruzzese, research director at ABI Research. Roblox, however, is trying to expand into that space, he said, adding that the online game platform faces "some obvious brand incompatibility issues and an uphill battle in proving value to enterprises at scale."

Nvidia Omniverse

Abbruzzese characterized Nvidia Omniverse as a "middle ground" between broad metaverse platforms, such as Roblox, Fortnite and Meta Horizon, and platforms that have more dedicated enterprise digitalization products, including tool sets for content creation and cross-platform compatibility. The latter platforms are commonly said to represent the industrial metaverse.

Other industrial metaverse platforms

Dedicated enterprise platforms geared at the industrial metaverse "are likely the ones that will see the most usage" by companies, Abbruzzese maintained, underscoring that they do not go by the metaverse moniker. The following platforms fall into this category:

• Siemens' Immersive Engineering.
• Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE.
• Hexagon Digital Reality (HxDR).
• Schneider Electric.
• Honeywell.
• ABB.

All are in varying stages of digital platform maturity, Abbruzzese said. Most are, in some form, pursuing a "combination of XR [extended reality] and connecting data platforms," he said. Many enterprises are pursuing enterprise digitalization, such as IoT, digital twins, simulation and lifecycle management, Abbruzzese said. "A growing subset of these companies are also using XR in combination with these digital solutions. Some are more advanced in XR support than others."

Apple Vision Pro

Apple's spatial computing platform Vision Pro is used primarily for enterprise use cases involving data visualization and office productivity. It is more developer-focused than the others, Abbruzzese said. "It is one of the most capable XR platforms on features alone," he said, but adoption has not been widespread due to the device's hefty price tag and limited accessibility for users with disabilities. The content and development platform itself is highly capable and would have seen greater adoption and usage if there were a cheaper hardware alternative to develop for, Abbruzzese explained. "Should a follow-up device come in the near future, it will be well positioned from a content development standpoint."

Spatial

Spatial has moved into the user-generated space after initially focusing on immersive virtual environments that facilitate enterprise collaboration, Abbruzzese said. The platform "has a strong user base and purposefully highlights an older (over 21) audience," he said.

Virbela

Abbruzzese called Virbela "the most enterprise-focused of the collaboration vendors listed and, thus, one of the most mature in that segment." It has a "metaverse-as-a-service" platform with Frame that streamlines content creation and cross-platform interactivity and collaboration, he said.

How generative AI fits into the metaverse

The past two years have given rise to "mass experimentation with generative AI," Bechtel said. Just as the web branched off into lots of individual apps for individual purposes, he said GenAI will also separate or fragment into dozens or even hundreds of "little digital butlers, little computerized concierges that have fixed scopes and purposes."

Text-based agents are already proliferating and will be used "not just like an escape into a 3D virtual world, but bringing reality itself online," he said. "We're going to start to see the evolution of text-based agents to … visual-spatial-personified agents over the course of the next three to five years."

While it is still early days, sooner rather than later, "GenAI and agentic AI will be incorporated into almost every platform … especially for the metaverse," said Matilda Beinat, research analyst at ABI Research. "At its core, it will be more useful for developers, creating environments, aiding in their work and as a guide in software development," she said.

Hardware advances: 'Kicked-up glasses,' AI-enhanced headsets

Thanks to AI-fueled workloads, the battery in today's headsets "is dramatically better" and so are the video capabilities and GPU power, according to Bechtel. He expects form factors will change from "bulky headsets to kicked-up glasses" in the next 18 to 24 months.

"That's where we're going to see meaningful enterprise adoption … because it's going to start to feel simpler and more elegant than carrying three, four or five rectangles around with you in the form of two phones, a tablet and a laptop," Bechtel said.

Abbruzzese also believes AI improvements will trickle down to headsets. "Applications like visual AI assistants will be scaled first on traditional hardware like smartphones and, ultimately, make [their] way to XR devices in time," he said.

"In many cases, a headset is the best possible hardware for visual AI -- evidenced by the interest in AI-first smart glasses, like Meta Ray-Ban," he added. "But general awareness, acceptance and perceived value [are] behind more established hardware, like phones."

Privacy and security in the metaverse

Right now, metaverse privacy and security carry a mix of uncertainty and inevitable regulation tightening, Abbruzzese said. "There are some default privacy carryovers from other segments into the metaverse -- age gates on social platforms being a good example -- but few metaverse-specific conversations happening today."

While big players like Meta will copy/paste privacy policies where possible, they will store the most amount of data collection possible, he said. "Data is where the money is made currently, with few end user-facing monetizable solutions available."

It's important to remember the metaverse is a nascent market, Beinat added. Depending on the application of the technology, there will be different priorities and different headsets adopted to ensure privacy and security are accounted for, she said.

Challenges for businesses implementing AR/VR technologies

The newness and rapid evolution of metaverse technologies present many challenges for companies. Interoperability between standards and platforms still leaves something to be desired, Bechtel said, "so there is an understandable reticence to go all in on one vendor's vision of this world, out of concern that it might not operate with the eventual standard."

There are also concerns about cost -- bringing in new equipment for the metaverse is "a nontrivial budgetary challenge," Bechtel noted. A third issue for businesses is training and user adoption.

At Paramount Global, for example, the company piloted VR in the employee onboarding process. New hires were given access to virtual spaces that enable them to tour Paramount's studio production lots to engage them in core aspects of the company's mission, Bechtel said. "It was a wonderful no-brainer for seeing how the entire joint runs," he said, "but you can imagine gearing people up with that kit and loading it up … is a longer putt than saying, 'Here, log in to this website, and take you mandatory 30 minutes [of] training.'"

However, Paramount is considering using VR to make leadership training more effective and interactive, according to Deloitte's "Tech Trends 2025" report.

Companies will have to educate potential users on the value of whatever metaverse platform is selected, Abbruzzese agreed. They will need to create "internal platform champions, such as product/project leads with deep knowledge of the solution," to help expedite rollout.

Will Gen Alpha engage with the metaverse at work?

Gen Alpha is the most technologically involved generation ever, Abbruzzese said, so it stands to reason they will be receptive to using the metaverse at work.

Yet, this generation also expects immediate satisfaction and a seamless digital experience, Beinat added.

"Through each platform, whether it be LinkedIn or Instagram, the younger generation is consistently watching short videos, and this instant sense of gratification is expected to influence the design of platforms, games and educational tools [in the metaverse]," she said. "They need to be intuitive, fast and engaging."

Esther Shein is a veteran freelance writer specializing in technology and business. A former senior writer at eWeek, she writes news, features, case studies and custom content.