A Study on the Metaverse Success Factors Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

This study aims to contribute to the development of the metaverse by identifying and evaluating its success factors from a business perspective using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Based on recent trends in metaverse research—which expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic—ten key success factors were identified. These factors were categorized into three primary groups: technological, market, and functional. A hierarchical model was constructed with these three top-level factors and their corresponding second-level sub-factors. Expert opinions were collected through a structured survey, and the relative importance of each factor was analyzed using the AHP. The results show that functional factors are the most critical, followed by market and technological factors. Among the second-level sub-factors, fun emerges as the most important, followed by network and communication, market size, and immersion. The analysis also confirms differences in priority among the three expert groups—academics, researchers, and industry practitioners—through the AHP’s compatibility index. These findings provide meaningful insights into the strategic direction and future development of the metaverse.