The European Commission has just published a new study on the health and well-being impacts of virtual worlds and extended reality (XR) technologies, delivered by PPMI | Part of the Verian Group for DG CNECT.
Conducted between June 2024 and June 2025, the study provides a systematic assessment of how virtual worlds affect users across consumer, industrial and professional environments, with particular attention to vulnerable groups such as children, older adults, persons with disabilities and people with chronic or acute health conditions.
The report finds that virtual worlds are already enhancing health and well-being – from immersive rehabilitation and safer professional training to improved social connection – while also identifying significant risks linked to addiction, harmful content, physical inactivity and social withdrawal that call for robust safeguards. It features 10 pilot use cases, including MindMaze, Explore Deep, Soul Paint, oVRcome, Sensiks, Phobius, Virtuleap, SIMAR, XRG and Liminal VR, showcasing how immersive technologies can be deployed to strengthen health, safety and learning outcomes. The study concludes with an analysis of current research gaps and policy recommendations to guide future European initiatives so that virtual worlds are developed and governed in ways that protect users, support vulnerable groups and unlock the transformative potential of immersive technologies for human health and well-being.
