The impact of the metaverse on Asia’s GDP could range from US$0.8 to US$1.4 trillion per year by 2035, which is roughly 1.3 to 2.4% of total GDP. According to a new Deloitte report titled “The Metaverse in Asia: Strategies to Accelerate Economic Impact,” this can pay off in the long run if sustained technology investments are made over the next five to 10 years. How much is actually realized and how quickly depends on the unique strategies that the underlying economies can adopt to accelerate the economic benefits of the metaverse.

There is currently awareness of the metaverse in Asia. The South Korean app Zepeto, for example, has more than 300 million registered users around the world. Last year, Seoul also said it hopes to create a metaverse by 2023 that will allow…