※ URL(Korean): https://www.kisdi.re.kr/bbs/view.do?bbsSn=114689&key=m2101113055776&pageIndex=3&sc=&sw=

KISDI Publishes Report on “A Study on the Immersive Service Ecosystem in the Era of Deepening Digitalization”
– Integration of Spatial Computing and AI: Preparing for a New Leap Forward in the Extended Reality Industry 

- Comprehensive Research on Strategies for Activating the Immersive Service Ecosystem: “Analysis of Corporate Service Strategies, Government Policy Directions, and User Experience Factors”
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 “Strategic Approaches Needed to Strengthen Korea’s Competitiveness in Immersive Services”
▲ (Government Policy) Proposes national R&D roadmaps and support for device innovation
▲ (Business Strategy) Suggests differentiated strategies for product, price, distribution, and promotion
▲ (User Behavior) Identifies immersion, presence, and reduced cybersickness as key determinants of user satisfaction
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The Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI, President Sangkyu Rhee) has recently released its Basic Research Report (25-02) titled “A Study on the Immersive Service Ecosystem in the Era of Deepening Digitalization.”

With the launch of Apple’s Vision Pro marking the beginning of the spatial computing era, a new digital paradigm combining Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is emerging worldwide. Global companies such as Meta, Google, and Samsung are competing intensely to gain an early lead in the immersive service market. Despite Korea’s strong network infrastructure, the country remains less competitive in devices, content, and platforms.

This report diagnoses the current status and challenges of Korea’s immersive service ecosystem and provides a comprehensive analysis of strategies for achieving global competitiveness. The key findings are as follows.

First, from a policy perspective, the government needs to establish: a national economic strategy centered on XR; expansion of 6G, cloud, and edge computing infrastructure; an R&D roadmap for XR–AI convergence technologies; support for startups and open innovation ecosystems; innovation in AI- and spatial computing–based education; support for device innovation to advance spatial computing; and improvements to legal and institutional frameworks for personal data protection and physical safety.

Expert survey results identified support for device innovation and the establishment of a mid- to long-term R&D roadmap as the most urgent priorities. Many respondents also emphasized the importance of technology standardization and enterprise growth support through collaboration between industry and government, while infrastructure expansion and legal reforms were viewed as relatively less pressing.

Second, the report presents corporate strategies for providing immersive services based on the 7P marketing framework. For product strategy, it proposes developing high-performance, low-cost devices and “killer content.” For pricing strategy, it recommends expanding subscription models and affordable product lineups. For Place, it calls for expanding experiential retail spaces and building integrated platforms. For promotion, it emphasizes activating social media and influencer marketing. In addition, for People, it is necessary to foster XR professionals and support creators; for Process, to adopt intuitive UI/UX and cloud streaming; and for Physical Evidence, to promote public–private collaboration and standardization.

Third, user research identified key factors influencing the immersive service experience. Survey and experimental results showed that immersion and perceived usefulness are the main determinants of positive attitudes toward AR/VR and continued use intention. Immersion, in particular, plays a central mediating role in shaping user attitudes, quality of life, vicarious satisfaction, and purchase intention. Conversely, cybersickness and fatigue were found to significantly diminish immersion and hinder user experience.

Demographically, older users and men tended to exhibit more negative attitudes toward AR/VR, revealing a different pattern from prior gender-gap discussions related to digital technology. Immersive services are currently used mainly for gaming and entertainment, with most users engaging only once or twice—suggesting that the market remains in an early-adopter stage.

For the sustained growth of immersive services, it is essential to develop technologies that maximize immersion and presence while minimizing cybersickness, and to identify killer applications that demonstrate practical value in daily life and work settings beyond entertainment.

The authors stated, “This study presents a comprehensive strategy to enhance Korea’s global competitiveness in the immersive service ecosystem within the emerging digital paradigm driven by the convergence of spatial computing and AI technologies. It is crucial to implement coherent government policies and corporate strategies while promoting user-centered technological development and service innovation to create a turning point that enables Korea’s immersive service industry to take a major step forward.”