1
Indiana University, School of Health and Human Sciences, Indianapolis, United States of America
Abstract
The proliferation of digital technologies has profoundly reshaped traditional leisure practices, giving rise to the concept of ‘metaleisure’. Metaleisure is defined as leisure activities carried out by individuals through their digital avatars in three-dimensional or higher virtual environments. It represents a transformative intersection of technology and recreation. This study aims to explore the academic evolution of the metaleisure concept by conducting a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publications including the keywords ‘virtual reality’ and ‘leisure’. A total of 151 relevant articles were retrieved from the Web of Science database via a systematic search. Data analysis was conducted using the Bibliometrix package within the R programming environment. The results indicate a sharp increase in scholarly interest in metaleisure since 2018, with significant contributions spanning interdisciplinary fields including psychology, health sciences, tourism and education. While early research efforts predominantly addressed physical health and clinical applications, recent studies have shifted their focus towards more complex themes, including user experience, quality of life, motivation and psychosocial implications. Despite growing interest, the study reveals limited international collaboration and a concentration of methodological approaches within a few dominant frameworks. A primary limitation of this review is its exclusive focus on publications incorporating the terms ‘VR’ and ‘leisure’, which may result in the overlooking of relevant contributions involving other immersive technologies. Future research should therefore consider expanding the scope to include augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and broader metaverse-based leisure applications. Overall, this bibliometric analysis provides a framework for understanding the theoretical and empirical landscape of metaleisure and directs future research into how immersive digital environments are redefining it.
Bayram, A. (2025). Emergence of metaleisure: A bibliometric analysis of virtual reality and leisure research. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 16(61), 1908–1934. https://doi.org/10.70736/ijoess.1764
📄Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
📄Astell, A. J., Bouranis, N., Hoey, J., Lindauer, A., Mihailidis, A., Nugent, C., … et al. (2019). Technology and dementia: The future is now. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 47(3), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1159/000497800
📄Bai, Z., Yao, N., Mishra, N., Chen, H., Wang, H., & Magnenat Thalmann, N. (2021). Enhancing emotional experience by building emotional virtual characters in vr volleyball games. Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, 32(e2008). https://doi.org/10.1002/cav.2008
📄Ball, M. (2022). The metaverse: And how it will revolutionize everything. Liveright Publishing.
📄Bayram, A. (2022a). Metaleisure: Leisure time habits to be changed with metaverse. Journal of Metaverse, 2(1), 1–7.
📄Bayram, A. (2022b). Retro boş zaman katılımcısı olarak klasik otomobil kullanıcılarının deneyimleri vosvos özel ilgi grubu. (Doktora Tezi, Anadolu Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Spor Yönetimi Ana Bilim Dalı), Eskişehir.
📄Bayram, A., Yalcin, I., Sahin, E., Ekinci, N. E., Talaghir, L.-G., & Iconomescu, T.-M. (2025). The role of recreational flow experience and well-being on re-participation intention: Recreational sport participants. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1574337. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1574337
📄Bideau, B., Kulpa, R., Vignais, N., Brault, S., Multon, F., & Craig, C. (2009). Using virtual reality to analyze sports performance. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 30(2), 14-21. https://doi.org/10.1109/MCG.2009.134
📄Bum, C. H., Yang, J. H., & Choi, C. (2022). Leisure benefits, flow experience, and life satisfaction comparison between players of actual and virtual golf. Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 50(5), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.11521
📄Chatterjee, S., Goyal, D., Prakash, A., & Sharma, J. (2021). Exploring healthcare/health-product ecommerce satisfaction: A text mining and machine learning application. Journal of Business Research, 131, 815-825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.043
📄Chen, H., Li, H., & Han, S. (2025). Negative emotion, positive effect? An empirical study of the impact of fear on user satisfaction in immersive virtual reality sports. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2484419
📄Correia Loureiro, S. M., Guerreiro, J., & Ali, F. (2020). 20 years of research on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism context: A text‑mining approach. Tourism Management, 77(104028), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104028
📄Cummings, J. J., & Bailenson, J. N. (2016). How immersive is enough? A meta-analysis of the effect of immersive technology on user presence. Media Psychology, 19(2), 272-309. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2015.1015740
📄Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
📄Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Baabdullah, A. M., Ribeiro‑Navarrete, S., Giannakis, M., Al‑Debei, M. M., … et al. 2022). Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 66, 102542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102542
📄Fiocco, A. J., Millett, G., D’Amico, D., Krieger, L., Sivashankar, Y., Lee, S. H., ... et al. (2021). Virtual tourism for older adults living in residential care: A mixed-methods study. Plos One, 16(5), e0250761. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250761
📄Hamari, J., & Koivisto, J. (2014). Measuring flow in gamification: Dispositional flow scale-2. Computers in Human Behavior, 40, 133-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.07.048
📄Hung, L., Mann, J., Wallsworth, C., Upreti, M., Kan, W., Temirova, A., … et al. (2023). Facilitators and barriers to using virtual reality and its impact on social engagement in aged care settings: A scoping review. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214231166355
📄Juvrud, J., Ansgariusson, G., Selleby, P., & Johansson, M. (2022). Game or watch: The effect of interactivity on arousal and engagement in video game media. IEEE Transactions on Games, 14(2), 308-317. https://doi.org/10.1109/TG.2021.3073084
📄Liang, C.-K., Chu, C.-S., & Chen, L.-K. (2023). Impacts of loneliness and social isolation on healthy longevity in older adults. (Eds: Hajek, A., Rieder-Heller, S. G. & König H.H. In Loneliness and social isolation in old age (pp. 15–25). Routledge.
📄Loureiro, S. M. C., Guerreiro, J., & Ali, F. (2020). 20 years of research on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism context: A text-mining approach. Tourism Management, 77, 104028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104028
📄Martín‑Gutiérrez, J., Mora, C. E., Añorbe‑Díaz, B., & González‑Marrero, A. (2017). Virtual technologies trends in education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(2), 469–486. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.00626a
📄Moral-Muñoz, J. A., Herrera-Viedma, E., Santisteban-Espejo, A., & Cobo, M. J. (2020). Software tools for conducting bibliometric analysis in science: An up-to-date review. Profesional de la Información, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.ene.03
📄Neumann, D. L., Moffitt, R. L., Thomas, P. R., Loveday, K., Watling, D. P., Lombard, C. L., … et al. (2018). A systematic review of the application of interactive virtual reality to sport. Virtual Reality, 22, 183-198. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-017-0320-5
📄Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
📄Reed, K. B., Hemmings-Jarrett, K., & Elangovan, S. (2025). Negotiating equitable metaleisure participation: Developing a theoretical framework for gen Z’s constraint navigation in the metaverse. World Leisure Journal, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2025.2468925
📄Roberts, A. R., De Schutter, B., Franks, K., & Radina, M. E. (2019). Older adults’ experiences with audiovisual virtual reality: Perceived usefulness and other factors influencing technology acceptance. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2018.1442380
📄Saaiq, M., & Ashraf, B. (2017). Modifying “Pico” question into “Picos” model for more robust and reproducible presentation of the methodology employed in a scientific study. World Journal of Plastic Surgery, 6(3), 390.
📄Sahin, E., & Yalcin, I. (2024). Examining the relationship between the perceived benefit and life engagement of individuals participating in sportive recreational activities. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 24(12), 2179-2186. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2024.12317
📄Sari, F., Sudan-Aran, A., & Alp, G. (2025). The psychological and physiological effects of a virtual reality-based treatment program in female patients with fibromyalgia syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. Assistive Technology, 37(3), 220-228. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2025.2458260
📄Smith, C. A., & Ellsworth, P. C. (1985). Patterns of cognitive appraisal in emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48(4), 813–838.
📄Suh, A., & Prophet, J. (2018). The state of immersive technology research: A literature analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 86, 77-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.04.019
📄Tricco, A. C., Zarin, W., Ghassemi, M., Nincic, V., Lillie, E., Page, M. J., … et al. (2018). Same family, different species: methodological conduct and quality varies according to purpose for five types of knowledge synthesis. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 96, 133-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.10.014
📄Turchet, L. (2023). Musical Metaverse: Vision, opportunities, and challenges. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 27(5), 1811–1827. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-023-01708-1
📄Weibel, D., & Wissmath, B. (2011). Immersion in computer games: The role of spatial presence and flow. International Journal of Computer Games Technology, 2011, 282345, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/282345
