ETSI GR ARF 010 V2.1.1 (2025-10)

Augmented Reality Framework (ARF); Virtual World Standards Landscape Report

RGR/ARF-0010v211

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Technical Committee: ARF - Augmented Reality Framework
• Current Stage: 12 - Citation in the OJ (auto-insert)
• Due Date: 30-Oct-2025
• Completion Date: 07-Oct-2025

Standards Content (Sample)

GROUP REPORT
Augmented Reality Framework (ARF);
Virtual World Standards Landscape Report
Disclaimer
The present document has been produced and approved by the Augmented Reality Framework (ARF) ETSI Industry
Specification Group (ISG) and represents the views of those members who participated in this ISG.
It does not necessarily represent the views of the entire ETSI membership.
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2 ETSI GR ARF 010 V2.1.1 (2025-10)

Reference
RGR/ARF-0010v211
Keywords
augmented reality, metaverse,
standards landscape
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All rights reserved.
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3 ETSI GR ARF 010 V2.1.1 (2025-10)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 7
Foreword . 7
Modal verbs terminology . 7
Executive summary . 7
Introduction . 8
1 Scope . 9
2 References . 9
2.1 Normative references . 9
2.2 Informative references . 9
3 Definition of terms, symbols and abbreviations . 10
3.1 Terms . 10
3.2 Symbols . 11
3.3 Abbreviations . 12
4 Emerging Virtual Worlds . 15
4.1 Enabling technologies are maturing . 15
4.2 Virtual world standardization efforts follow . 16
4.2.1 Introduction. 16
4.2.2 Low collaboration . 17
4.2.3 Low industry participation . 18
4.2.4 Notable exceptions . 18
4.3 Contrasting standardization approaches . 19
4.3.1 Introduction. 19
4.3.2 Timing is important . 20
4.3.3 Supporting documentation . 21
4.4 Trends in standards and technical reports . 23
4.4.1 Introduction. 23
4.4.2 Domain focus . 23
4.4.3 Specialization . 25
4.4.4 Technical Reports support standardization activities . 27
4.5 Standards adoption . 29
4.6 Conclusions . 30
5 Eight virtual world domains . 31
6 Infrastructure . 32
6.1 Domain Scope . 32
6.1.1 Introduction. 32
6.1.2 Networks and Connectivity . 33
6.1.3 Computational resources . 34
6.1.4 Content delivery and optimization . 34
6.2 Standards Development Organizations . 34
6.3 Standards Working Groups . 34
6.4 Standards . 34
6.5 Technical Reports . 35
6.6 Conclusions . 35
7 Data Management . 36
7.1 Scope . 36
7.1.1 Introduction. 36
7.1.2 Data protection . 36
7.1.3 Data collection and processing . 37
7.1.4 Data compression, resilience and optimization . 37
7.1.5 Data integration and interoperability . 37
7.2 Standards Development Organizations . 38
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7.3 Standards Working Groups . 38
7.4 Standards . 38
7.5 Technical Reports . 38
7.6 Conclusions . 39
8 Artificial Intelligence . 39
8.1 Scope . 39
8.1.1 Introduction. 39
8.1.2 AI-powered content generation and design . 40
8.1.3 AI-powered interaction and recognition . 40
8.1.4 AI-powered intelligent virtual entities . 41
8.1.5 AI-assisted environment and experience optimization . 41
8.1.6 Real-time AI-assisted adaptation . 41
8.2 Standards Development Organizations . 41
8.3 Standards Working Groups . 42
8.4 Standards . 42
8.5 Technical Reports . 42
8.6 Conclusions . 43
9 Reality Capture . 43
9.1 Scope . 43
9.1.1 Introduction. 43
9.1.2 Environmental data acquisition and mapping . 44
9.1.3 Human capture, recognition and interaction . 45
9.1.4 Digital Twins and Internet of Things integration . 45
9.2 Standards Development Organizations . 45
9.3 Standards Working Groups . 45
9.4 Standards . 46
9.5 Technical Reports . 46
9.6 Conclusions . 46
10 Human Interface Systems and Devices . 47
10.1 Scope . 47
10.1.1 Introduction. 47
10.1.2 Immersive experience form factors . 48
10.1.3 General purpose components . 49
10.1.4 Selection, control and interaction components . 49
10.1.5 Feedback mechanisms . 50
10.1.6 Metrology for systems and displays . 50
10.2 Standards Development Organizations . 50
10.3 Standards Working Groups . 50
10.4 Standards . 50
10.5 Technical Reports . 51
10.6 Conclusions . 51
11 Immersive Experiences . 52
11.1 Scope . 52
11.1.1 Introduction. 52
11.1.2 Delivery, recording and communication . 53
11.1.3 Realism and immersion . 54
11.1.4 Authoring and design . 54
11.1.5 Distributed architectures . 54
11.1.6 User interaction design and usability . 55
11.2 Standards Development Organizations . 55
11.3 Standards Working Groups . 55
11.4 Standards . 55
11.5 Technical Reports . 56
11.6 Conclusions . 56
12 Virtual Society . 57
12.1 Scope . 57
12.1.1 Introduction. 57
12.1.2 Governance and frameworks for civil society . 58
12.1.3 Ethics and accessibility . 58
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12.1.4 Open social structures and interactions . 58
12.2 Standards Development Organizations . 59
12.3 Standards Working Groups . 59
12.4 Standards . 59
12.5 Technical Reports . 59
12.6 Conclusions . 60
13 Virtual Economy . 60
13.1 Scope . 60
13.1.1 Introduction. 60
13.1.2 Identity and representation of entities . 61
13.1.3 Verification of authenticity, ownership, provenance and traceability . 62
13.1.4 Digital Goods and Services . 62
13.1.5 Transactions and Business Models . 62
13.1.6 Governance and Regulations . 63
13.2 Standards Development Organizations . 63
13.3 Standards Working Groups . 63
13.4 Standards . 63
13.5 Technical Reports . 64
13.6 Conclusions . 64
14 Cross-Domain Standards . 65
14.1 Scope . 65
14.1.1 Introduction. 65
14.1.2 Benefits of cross-domain standards . 65
14.2 Standards . 65
14.3 Conclusions . 66
15 Industry-Specific Standards . 66
15.1 Scope . 66
15.2 Manufacturing industry . 67
15.2.1 Introduction. 67
15.2.2 Standards . 67
15.3 Architecture and Construction . 67
15.3.1 Introduction. 67
15.3.2 Standards . 68
15.4 Healthcare. 68
15.4.1 Introduction. 68
15.4.2 Standards . 68
15.5 Conclusions . 68
16 Conclusions . 69
16.1 Introduction . 69
16.2 High number and diversity . 70
16.3 Collaboration . 70
16.4 Lack of standards for standardization information . 70
16.5 Standards adoption . 71
Annex A: Methodology . 72
A.1 Introduction . 72
A.2 Definition of eight virtual world domains . 72
A.3 Data collection . 72
A.4 Data processing . 74
A.5 Data analysis . 75
A.6 Data presentation . 75
Annex B: Standards Development Organizations . 78
B.1 Introduction . 78
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B.2 Radar charts for top 20 standards development organizations . 78
B.3 Standards Development Organizations in the Data Set . 98
Annex C: Bibliography . 120
History . 124

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Intellectual Property Rights
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Foreword
This Group Report (GR) has been produced by ETSI Industry Specification Group (ISG) Augmented Reality
Framework (ARF).
The present document provides a deep analysis of standards and standardization activities conducted in various
Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) and other fora, as available at the time of publishing. The analysis is
performed on all public information about standardization activities that impact development of virtual world
technologies and the creation of value using these technologies, including enabling technologies, components, services
and human interface systems and devices. It also examines standards that address challenges common across all types
of virtual worlds including transactions, governance, cybersecurity and privacy.
Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "should", "should not", "may", "need not", "will", "will not", "can" and "cannot" are to be
interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms for the expression of provisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.
Executive summary
The present document aims at providing a landscape of standardization activities in the field of Virtual Worlds.
Providing the current status of virtual world standardization activities in a public resource such as the present document
and its supporting materials can increase general understanding of virtual world technologies in the context of the
general technology lifecycle where innovation often proceeds in tandem with standardization and through
collaborations between diverse stakeholders of an ecosystem, as defined in [i.9] and [i.10]. It also serves as input to the
EC's 2026 Rolling Plan for ICT standardisation [i.11].
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After introducing the scope of virtual worlds and purpose of the research, the present document describes the current
trends underpinning the emergence of virtual worlds. The following clauses present details about interoperability
standards, working groups and standards development organizations focusing on technology in eight domains, based on
analyses performed on the largest data set about virtual world standards and standardization activities compiled to date.
This standards landscape and the analyses conducted in its preparation demonstrate that many stakeholders have
recognized the need to define interfaces and protocols for virtual worlds interoperability. Hundreds of standards
designed to overcome virtual world interoperability obstacles have been published. However, independent research
based on the data set associated with the present document and this landscape [i.12] also reveals that companies most
heavily invested in the potential rewards from the success of virtual worlds have rarely implemented interoperability
standards in their products, tools or services.
Introduction
For the purpose of strong alignment with European Commission (EC) policies and communications, the terms "virtual
worlds," as defined in clause 3.1, or "virtual world technologies" to include all enabling technologies, are used
throughout the present document except in the following cases:
• the legal or official title of an entity includes "metaverse";
• the authors of a published document or paper use "metaverse" in the title or text of their work;
• the title or summary of a working group or activity uses "metaverse."
Virtual world technologies provide access to and interactive experiences for users within persistent, 3D environments.
Delivered using augmented, virtual or mixed reality human interfaces, virtual world experiences blur real and synthetic
spaces and objects enhancing and enriching in new and unpredictable ways the daily lives of people while they are
socialising, working, learning, making transactions, playing and engaging in creative activities. As described in the
EC's Communication COM(2023) 442 "An EU initiative on virtual words" [i.13], an economically productive
ecosystem of innovative European stakeholders will build upon the convergence of advanced technologies (e.g. AI,
5G/6G, IoT, etc.) to deliver persistent 3D real-time immersive environments.
An interconnected virtual world ecosystem may offer many economic and societal benefits [i.14]. However, there are
also many challenges to overcome before the promise of virtual worlds can be delivered at scale [i.15]. Recognizing
that, to flourish, the virtual world ecosystem will need support from the public sector to balance their investments with
reasonable levels of risk, the European Commission has embarked on numerous actions focusing on virtual worlds. For
high innovation and return on investment, there also needs to be integration with existing technology and opportunities
for collaboration across the ecosystem. Further, when virtual world technology providers agree on protocols interfaces
or policies where data (including metadata) will be protected and under user control, virtual worlds will be fit for people
[i.16]. Interoperability standards will also permit data interchanges between virtual worlds without loss or compromise
of information or value [i.17], [i.18].
Low interoperability between virtual world components, tools, services and content is recognized as a major obstacle to
integration and the creation of new value through collaboration between virtual world stakeholders [i.12]. In addition to
interoperability, for businesses and people to engage in virtual world economies, the technologies that they adopt will
also need to ensure security for protection of privacy and other fundamental rights. Prior to raising its investments in
actions to increase interoperability, security and privacy for virtual world users, the EC seeks a comprehensive,
objective assessment of available standards. Standards and standardization activities for the development of a healthy
virtual world ecosystem are the focus of the research conducted for the present document. The results are provided in
the present document.
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1 Scope
The present document provides a comprehensive assessment and analysis of 912 standards and 354 technical reports
about virtual worlds domains compiled as of February 14, 2025. The documents pertain to one or more of eight virtual
worlds subject matter areas ("domains"), as these are defined in the present document.
In addition to analysing the documents, the project also studied the most relevant working groups and the standards
development organizations in which members of these working groups conduct their activities. The present document
includes summaries of working group activities and, based on publicly available attributes, compares the different
virtual world standardization activities to date.
2 References
2.1 Normative references
Normative references are not applicable in the present document.
2.2 Informative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication ETSI cannot guarantee
their long-term validity.
The following referenced documents may be useful in implementing an ETSI deliverable or add to the reader's
understanding, but are not required for conformance to the present document.
[i.1] ISO/IEC 12113:2022: "Information technology — Runtime 3D asset delivery format — Khronos
glTF™ 2.0".
[i.2] ISO/IEC 27001: "Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Information
security management systems — Requirements".
[i.3] ISO/IEC 60601: "Medical electrical equipment".
[i.4] ANSI/CAN/UL 8400: "Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality Technology
Equipment".
[i.5] ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004: "Standardization and related activities - General vocabulary".
[i.6] ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 (clause 2): "Procedures for the technical work — Consolidated ISO
Supplement — Procedures specific to ISO".
[i.7] ISO 26324: "Information and documentation — Digital object identifier system".
[i.8] ISO 10303: "Industrial automation systems and integration — Product data representation and
exchange".
[i.9] ISO R&I Papers: "Standards and innovation - What does the research say?", January 2022.
[i.10] Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 153, Markard, J.: "The life cycle of
technological innovation systems", April 2020.
[i.11] European Commission 2026: "Rolling Plan for ICT standardisation 2026".
[i.12] PEREY Research & Consulting: "Analysis of Commercial Implementations of Metaverse
Standards", June 2025.
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[i.13] European Commission's Communication COM(2023) 442: "An EU initiative on Web 4.0 and
virtual worlds: a head start in the next technological transition".
[i.14] Council of the European Union, General Secretariat of the Council: "Metaverse - Virtual world,
real challenges", Publications Office of the European Union, 2023.
[i.15] Hupont Torres, I., Charisi, V., De Prato, G., Pogorzelska, K., Schade, S. et al.: "Next generation
virtual worlds - Societal, technological, economic and policy challenges for the EU", Publications
Office of the European Union, 2023.
[i.16] European Commission: "Virtual Worlds fit for people", 2023.
[i.17] N. Abdelkaf, R. Bekkers, R. Bolla, A. Rodriguez-Ascaso, M. Wetterwald: "Understanding ICT
Standardization: Principles and Practice", ETSI, 2021.
[i.18] European Commission: "Embracing open standards for open data: The ecosystem of
interoperability across Europe", June 2024.
[i.19] European Commission: "Fact Pages - Virtual Worlds", 2024.
[i.20] European Commission: "Common European Data Spaces", July 2025.
3 Definition of terms, symbols and abbreviations
3.1 Terms
For the purposes of the present document, the following terms apply:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): technologies using computers and processors, including computer vision, machine
learning, natural language recognition, data processing, and generative algorithms, that perform tasks to produce, refine
and optimize elements of experiences in virtual worlds and, as a result, enrich and enhance the value to users
data management: processes, technologies, and policies for collecting, storing, processing, securing, and utilizing data
within virtual world environments and experiences
NOTE: Effective data management underpins the functionality, scalability, and ethical operation of virtual world
ecosystems.
human interface systems and devices: integrated systems of hardware and software components for acquisition of
context and delivery of immersive experiences to users
NOTE: Together, components create systems and devices that, when used with design principles or guidelines,
facilitate interaction with and immersion in virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.
immersive experiences: enabling technologies and actors involved in generating and packaging assets and behaviours
for interactive, and digitally mediated activities or simulations within virtual worlds or mixed real-and-digital
environments
NOTE: These experiences engage users through sensory inputs (e.g. visual, auditory, haptic) and dynamic
interactions, offering opportunities for many use cases including economic activities, exploration,
learning, entertainment, or collaboration in digitally constructed and mixed digital-physical world
settings.
industry-driven standard: publication approved by membership of and released by an industry-driven standards
development organization
industry-driven s
...