The metaverse is obviously not yet ready to go into mores…

While many Silicon Valley players are doing everything to invite us to join the metaversethe French are currently resisting.

Tomorrow, everyone in the metaverse? This is the risky bet of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, renamed Meta in 2021, who has already invested tens of billions of dollars to immerse us in a digital universe.

Young people are more sensitive to the metaverse

The metaverse made headlines in 2022, but the French do not seem interested in the project. According to a study by GetApp, only 51% of respondents are familiar with the concept of metaverse, while 19% did not even know the term.

Unsurprisingly, the youngest among us, born between 1978 and 1995, are more aware of what a metaverse is with 58% of respondents in this age group aware of the project and 51% in Generation Z, born after 1996. Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are 58% totally unaware of the subject, and 51% of people from generation X (born between 1965 and 1977) do not seem more interested in the digital universe .

A concept that only interests a part of the French

Once we explain to respondents who do not know it yet, the definition of a metaverse, their reaction is not the most enthusiastic.

Only 47% of those questioned share a positive opinion, while 23% of French people are hostile to the idea of ​​spending time in an entirely virtual universe.

If we dwell on each age group, we see that young people are more positive than their elders, with 56% of enthusiastic reaction in Generation Z, and only 39% among baby boomers. Interestingly, even among older generations, the sentiment is not fiercely hostile. Our elders seem more indifferent to a universe that concerns them very little.

If many have therefore heard of the metaverse, few have already tasted it. Only 8% of respondents have already taken their first steps in virtual universes and 39% categorically refuse to put on a virtual reality headset. The other half of the panel did not try, but would be interested in a first discovery session.

Nevertheless, this enthusiasm must be put into perspective. People still new to the metaverse indicate that the price of the equipment required to access it hinders them (51% of them) for one in two respondents, the fear of addiction to the virtual world could prevent them from going more before in their exploration of the virtual world praised by Mark Zuckerberg.

A successful first contact with the metaverse

If convincing users to dive into the metaverse risks taking many years for Meta, as well as all those already involved in the subject, the latter can be satisfied with the first feeling of the French who have already tested the experience.

The metaverse attracted 80% of insiders. The main use today is video games (64%) but users have also expressed an interest in online purchases and 45% of them have already spent money in the metaverse.

In detail, 33% of active users have already ordered products from virtual stores and 25% have turned to virtual products. Experiences, such as virtual tours, games, cryptocurrency and avatar skins, are the most used products and one in two metaverse users regularly spends money to dress up their character and change their wardrobe.

Meta, as the most visible and invested actor, will have to redouble its pedagogy to interest the billions of human beings connected to its platforms to switch to the metaverse. There are many reservations, whether financial, societal or philosophical, but the game can be worth the effort for the company and its partners. Already acquired users seem willing to spend more in virtual universes.

Will the metaverse be the new cash machine of the American group? See you in ten years, according to the founder of Facebook, the time to refine the technology and make it simpler and more attractive for the general public.

Source : GetApp