Research Summary: Open WebXR versus Commercial Game Engines: A Socio-Technical Position Analysis for an Open, Sustainable, and Interoperable Metaverse

This research analyzes the dichotomy between open WebXR technologies and commercial game engines in the development of the Metaverse. It highlights how current extended reality (XR) applications, largely built on proprietary platforms, conflict with the vision of an open, interoperable, and persistent Metaverse. The study posits that WebXR offers a pathway towards a more accessible, device-agnostic, and institutionally sustainable virtual environment, particularly beneficial for sectors like education, research, and cultural heritage.

Why it matters

The choice between open WebXR and commercial game engines has profound implications for the future structure and accessibility of the Metaverse. This decision will determine whether the Metaverse evolves as an open, interoperable digital commons or a fragmented landscape dominated by proprietary platforms, impacting innovation, data ownership, and user access across all sectors engaging with virtual environments.

Key insights

• The prevailing development of XR applications via commercial game engines and proprietary app stores creates platform dependency and contradicts the open vision of the Metaverse.
• WebXR technologies are identified as a potential alternative to conventional commercial game-engine pipelines.
• The analysis considers XR hardware, software architectures, developer workflows, governance, ethics, and sustainability in its comparative assessment.
• WebXR is argued to facilitate a more accessible, device-independent, and institutionally sustainable Metaverse.
• Specific sectors like education, research, cultural heritage, and prototyping are identified as areas where WebXR could offer significant advantages.

Source

arXiv — Computers and Society — https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03666