Moving from a set of independent virtual worlds to an integrated network of 3D virtual worlds or Metaverse
rests on progress in four areas: immersive realism, ubiquity of access and identity, interoperability, and
scalability. For each area, the current status and needed developments in order to achieve a functional
Metaverse are described. Factors that support the formation of a viable Metaverse, such as institutional
and popular interest and ongoing improvements in hardware performance, and factors that constrain the
achievement of this goal, including limits in computational methods and unrealized collaboration among
virtual world stakeholders and developers, are also considered