Interoperability of the Metaverse: A Digital Ecosystem Perspective Review

The Metaverse is at the vanguard of the impending digital revolution, withthe potential to significantly transform industries and lifestyles. However, in2023, skepticism surfaced within industrial and academic spheres, raisingconcerns that excitement may outpace actual technological progress.Interoperability, recognized as a major barrier to the Metaverse's fullpotential, is central to this debate. CoinMarketCap's report in February 2023indicated that of over 240 metaverse initiatives, most existed in isolation,underscoring the interoperability challenge. Despite consensus on its criticalrole, there is a research gap in exploring the impact on the Metaverse,significance, and developmental extent. Our study bridges this gap via asystematic literature review and content analysis of the Web of Science (WoS)and Scopus databases, yielding 74 publications after a rigorous selectionprocess. Interoperability, difficult to define due to varied contexts and lackof standardization, is central to the Metaverse, often seen as a digitalecosystem. Urs Gasser's framework from Harvard Law School, outliningtechnological, data, human, and institutional dimensions, systematicallyaddresses interoperability complexities. Incorporating this framework, wedissect literature for a comprehensive Metaverse interoperability overview. Ourstudy seeks to establish benchmarks for future inquiries, navigating thecomplex field of Metaverse interoperability studies and contributing toacademic advancement.