Virtual worlds are immersive, persistent environments utilising 3D and extended reality (XR) technologies to blend physical and digital realms in real-time for various purposes such as design, simulation, collaboration, learning and entertainment. As these technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday life, a detailed assessment of their impacts on human health and well-being has become essential.
This study was commissioned to support the European Commission's Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds strategy (COM (2023) 442), by delivering an of how virtual worlds are affecting human health and well-being, both positively and negatively across diverse environments, for different users and for vulnerable groups. Conducted by PPMI between June 2024 and July 2025, the study employed an approach combining quantitative and qualitative research techniques including:
- Literature review of academic publications, policy documents, and grey literature, documenting existing research gaps.
- Identification of 250 virtual worlds use cases from multiple sources including expert suggestions, European databases and tools including Milda.ai1.
- Analysis of virtual worlds and their health and well-being impacts across consumer, industrial, and professional environments, including an assessment of impacts for vulnerable groups, specifically children, older adults, persons with disabilities, and individuals with chronic and acute health conditions.
- Selection of 10 pilot cases (five EU-based, five international) representing diverse virtual worlds use cases that aim to improve human health and well-being.
- Stakeholder consultation including 39 expert interviews with academics, industry practitioners, technology developers, policymakers, and users, supplemented by two stakeholder workshops for co-creation of policy recommendations and dissemination of study findings.
The study delivered a final report, presenting state-of-the-art evidence on the impacts of virtual worlds for human health and well-being across the study environments and for vulnerable groups. The report also includes the selected 10 pilot use cases, along with six policy recommendations to help guide future initiatives and policy action to ensure virtual worlds are designed and deployed in ways that foster inclusion, safeguard users and vulnerable groups, and harness the transformative potential of immersive technologies for promoting human health and well-being.