Spatial word of mouth: How user reviews in the metaverse shape the success of virtual reality apps

Kübler, Raoul V.; Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten

Abstract

In the metaverse, virtual reality (VR) apps serve as key gateways to consumers, making it critical for retailers and brands to understand the drivers of VR app success. This study introduces spatial word of mouth (WOM)—consumer-generated communication in high-immersive digital environments—and examines how VR app reviews in a metaverse app store, as prominent kind of such spatial WOM, are linked with app performance. Using topic modeling and aspect-based sentiment analysis, we analyze nearly 300,000 reviews from 153 VR apps on Meta’s Horizon store, alongside 1.5 million reviews of 2D apps from Steam. We identify 10 spatial-WOM topics, four of which are unique to VR (immersion, community, playtime, and motion sickness) and six are shared with traditional electronic WOM. Linear mixed-effects regression reveals that all 10 topics are linked to spatial-WOM valence (a measure of app satisfaction), while five are associated with spatial-WOM volume (a proxy for app downloads). A spatial WOM valence-volume matrix offers practical insights for retailing and brand managers to engage VR app users effectively, and a research agenda for advancing spatial-WOM studies in retailing and marketing provides a foundation for future exploration in this emerging domain.