After Facebook rebranded its business to Meta, the move has triggered a buzz around the metaverse concept. Different entities are now adopting the concept despite being in its early stages.
Data presented by Burga indicates that between November 2021 and January 2022, a monthly average of 28 mobile applications added metaverse to their description, a fivefold growth or 460% spike from the five average recorded between June 2021 and October 2021.
The spike in applications adopting the word metaverse spiked from October when Facebook moved to Meta. Between October to November, the number of apps grew from 11 to 29, highlighting the role of Meta in the concept.
December 2021 registered the highest number of apps aligning with the metaverse at 30.
Elsewhere, games with 107 applications lead in the number of app categories referencing the ‘metaverse’ keyword. Finance ranks second at 101, followed by social at 70, while entertainment is the fourth min slot at 57. Books close the top five category at 33.
Other top categories referring to ‘metaverse’ in their description include lifestyle (33), tools (26), business (25), art and design (13), and education (11).
Why apps are aligning with the metaverse
The report highlights the relevance of associating with the metaverse despite the concept being in its infancy stages. According to the research report:
“Although the metaverse is still gaining ground, app developers are using the concept as a critical marketing tool as different sectors await the actual technical requirements for the metaverse to emerge. It can be argued that the applications are working towards having an edge once the technology’s full potential is realized.”
Furthermore, players in the metaverse still have significant ground to cover in ensuring the concept achieves mainstream adoption. To achieve success, aspects such as the cost of virtual and augmented reality headsets will need to be factored in.
