Gaming & Virtual Worlds · Projected milestone
Persistent virtual worlds
Estimated year~2065
28% by 2070 · including earlier years
The year is an editorial timing estimate. The percentage applies to occurrence by the stated deadline. These estimates are not calibrated odds.
Shared simulated worlds host a large share of work, school and play.
Explore this milestone on the interactive mapWhat the forecast means
Milestone stage: milestone (legacy definition)
Completion criteria: Legacy milestone: refine the observable threshold before resolving.
This page describes a forecast, rather than an achieved result. Read the methodology and assumptions.
Built on
- Real-time 3D game enginesRecorded · 1996enables
- Virtual world with a real economyRecorded · 2003enables
- Player-made game platformsRecorded · 2006enables
- Everyday AR glassesRecorded · 2019enables
- Personalised AI films & gamesRecorded · 2025enables
- Playable AI world modelsRecorded · 2026enables
- AR contact lensesForecast · ~2034enables
- Virtual economies the size of nationsForecast · ~2048enables
Led to
Sources & evidence
No individual source links are recorded for this milestone. Source coverage and review status vary across the atlas.
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.