From the Metaverse to Brain-Computer Interfaces: Analyzing Emerging Technology Trends in 2025
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Rapid Restructuring of the Emerging Technology Market
As of December 2025, the global emerging technology market is experiencing unprecedented changes. The metaverse market has surged by 53.8%, from $78 billion in 2024 to $120 billion in 2025, while the brain-computer interface (BCI) market has grown to $2.7 billion, an 89% increase from the previous year. This growth is accelerating digital transformation across industries beyond mere technological advancements. Particularly noteworthy is the proactive stance of Korean companies in this sector. Samsung Electronics (Suwon, Gyeonggi Province) announced an investment of 12 trillion won in the second half of 2025 for the development of semiconductors dedicated to the metaverse, while SK Hynix (Icheon, Gyeonggi Province) allocated 8 trillion won for R&D in BCI-specific memory chips.
The surge in investments is driven by strategic shifts among global big tech companies. Despite recording a $17 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2024 in its metaverse division, Reality Labs, Meta (headquartered in Menlo Park, California) committed an additional $25 billion investment in 2025. This reflects CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s conviction that “the metaverse will be the next computing platform.” Meanwhile, Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, achieved $4.5 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2025 with its enterprise metaverse solutions based on HoloLens technology, adopting a different approach from the consumer-focused Meta.
Significant advancements are also being made in the field of quantum computing. Google’s (Mountain View, California) latest quantum processor, ‘Willow,’ surpassed 1,000 qubits, demonstrating the capability to complete calculations in 5 minutes that would take a traditional supercomputer 1 million years. In response, IBM (Armonk, New York) unveiled its 1,121-qubit ‘Condor’ processor in November 2025, intensifying the quantum supremacy race. The quantum computing market is currently valued at $15.8 billion and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.1%, reaching $64.3 billion by 2030.
In the brain-computer interface sector, Elon Musk’s Neuralink (Fremont, California) received FDA approval in the first half of 2025 to begin its first commercial implant procedures. Clinical trials with 12 initial patients recorded an average signal accuracy of 97.3%, enabling stroke patients to operate computers with their thoughts. Inspired by this, CTRL-labs, founded by Facebook’s former CTO Mike Schroepfer and now owned by Meta, announced the launch of consumer products with non-invasive BCI technology in the second half of 2025. Market analysts predict that the BCI market will expand from medical applications to gaming, education, and entertainment.
The Fusion of 6G Communications and Hologram Technology
South Korea is securing a leading position in the race to develop next-generation 6G communication technology. In September 2025, Samsung Electronics announced achieving a maximum transmission speed of 1Tbps with a 6G prototype utilizing the terahertz (THz) band. This is 100 times the current maximum speed of 5G, enabling real-time hologram communication and ultra-high-resolution metaverse experiences. Samsung’s 6G technology particularly excels in its integration with hologram displays. The company successfully demonstrated the real-time transmission of 8K resolution 3D holograms in the fourth quarter of 2025, combining AI-based data compression technology and edge computing.
In response, Huawei (Shenzhen, China) and Nokia (Espoo, Finland) are developing 6G technology with different approaches. Huawei aims for global coverage with a ‘space-ground integrated’ 6G architecture combining satellite communication and terrestrial networks, while Nokia is developing ‘Green 6G’ solutions focused on energy efficiency. Although the 6G market is still in its early stages, it is expected to grow explosively from $34 billion in 2030 to $1.5 trillion by 2040. The South Korean government has allocated a budget of 2.8 trillion won for 6G technology development in 2025, striving to secure global leadership.
In the hologram technology market, Sony (Tokyo, Japan) holds a unique position. In October 2025, Sony launched a 3D hologram monitor called ‘Spatial Reality Display’ that can be viewed without glasses. This product offers stereoscopic images in 4K resolution on a 27-inch screen and is priced at 50 million won. Initially targeting professional fields such as medical imaging, automotive design, and architectural planning, it exceeded expectations, selling 1,200 units in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone. Inspired by Sony’s success, LG Electronics (Seoul) is preparing to enter the consumer market with a hologram TV launch planned for the first half of 2026.
The advancement of hologram technology is also bringing significant changes to the entertainment industry. In November 2025, South Korea’s HYBE (Seoul) opened the world’s first hologram concert venue in Gangnam. This venue offers a level of realism indistinguishable from BTS members performing on a real stage. Despite ticket prices set at 500,000 won for general seats and 1.5 million won for VIP seats, every show has sold out. HYBE plans to expand this technology overseas, opening hologram concert venues in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and London by 2026.
However, these emerging technologies face significant challenges. In the metaverse market, there are still limitations in user experience and hardware costs. The average price of high-quality VR headsets ranges from $800 to $3,000, requiring time for widespread adoption. Additionally, issues such as ‘cyber sickness’ and eye fatigue from prolonged use need to be addressed. Despite its high price of $3,500, Apple’s (Cupertino, California) Vision Pro sold 1.8 million units globally in 2025, but its use remains limited to professional applications rather than everyday use.
In the brain-computer interface sector, ethical and legal issues are more complex. Concerns about the privacy of brain data, hacking risks, and philosophical questions about human identity and free will are being raised. In July 2025, the European Union enacted the ‘Brain Data Protection Act,’ introducing strict regulations on the collection and processing of brain-related data. Consequently, BCI companies must invest significant resources in adhering to ethical guidelines alongside technology development.
In the quantum computing field, technical stability remains a major challenge. Current quantum processors operate only in extremely low temperatures (-273°C), with high error rates due to the instability of quantum states. Google’s Willow processor also requires over 70% of its physical qubits for error correction. Experts suggest that to commercialize, the error rate must be reduced from the current 0.1% to 0.0001%. To address this, IBM established a ‘Quantum Error Correction Center’ in New York in the second half of 2025 to conduct joint research with global researchers.
Investment Trends and Future Outlook
Venture capital and private equity investments in emerging technology sectors reached an all-time high in 2025. Metaverse-related startups attracted a total of $28 billion in investments, a 67% increase from the previous year. Notably, Korean startups are making significant strides. Virtual reality content creator ‘MetaStudio’ (Seoul) raised 120 billion won in a Series B round, valuing the company at 1.2 trillion won. Specializing in virtual concerts and fan meetings for K-pop idols, the company achieved 80 billion won in revenue in 2025.
In the semiconductor industry, demand for AI accelerators and chips for the metaverse is skyrocketing. NVIDIA’s (Santa Clara, California) data center revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 increased by 194% year-on-year, reaching $35 billion. The demand for H200 GPUs for metaverse and AI training far exceeds supply, with an 8-month lead time from order to delivery. In response, SK Hynix announced plans to double its production capacity for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for the metaverse and invest 20 trillion won to establish related production lines by 2026.
The convergence of autonomous driving technology and the metaverse is also emerging as a new investment theme. In October 2025, Tesla (Austin, Texas) announced the concept of a ‘RoboTaxi Metaverse.’ This technology utilizes the interior of autonomous vehicles as a virtual reality space, allowing passengers to enjoy meetings, games, and shopping during transit. Tesla is developing in-car VR headsets and haptic seats, aiming for commercialization by 2026. Market analysts predict that the automotive-metaverse convergence market will grow to $45 billion by 2030.
However, concerns about a bubble are also being raised alongside this rapid growth. According to a recent report by Goldman Sachs, the average price-to-earnings ratio (PER) of metaverse-related companies is 85 times, similar to the level during the dot-com bubble in 2000. With 40% of startups having a market value exceeding 20 times their revenue, there is a growing call for cautious approaches by investors. Morgan Stanley advises that a market correction in the metaverse sector is likely in the first half of 2026, recommending that investment decisions be based on technological maturity and actual revenue generation capabilities.
Government policies and regulatory environments are also playing a crucial role in market development. In November 2025, the U.S. government announced the ‘Next-Generation Computing Initiative,’ committing $50 billion over the next five years for research in quantum computing and brain-computer interfaces. China allocated 1 trillion yuan (approximately 200 trillion won) for building metaverse infrastructure as part of its ‘Digital Silk Road 2.0’ policy. Through ‘Digital New Deal 3.0,’ the South Korean government is investing 10 trillion won to create a metaverse ecosystem, aiming to become one of the world’s top three metaverse powerhouses.
Looking ahead, 2026 is likely to be the inaugural year for the practical commercialization of emerging technologies. The metaverse is expected to expand from its current focus on gaming and entertainment to education, healthcare, and manufacturing. Remote surgery, virtual classrooms, and digital twin-based smart factories are anticipated to enter the practical stage. Brain-computer interfaces may evolve beyond medical applications to become game controllers or smartphone replacement interfaces. Quantum computing is expected to see commercial applications in specific fields such as cryptocurrency mining, drug development, and climate modeling. These changes will fundamentally reshape existing industry ecosystems, making strategic responses by companies and cautious portfolio configurations by investors more crucial than ever.
*This analysis is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice or stock recommendations. Investment decisions should be made at the individual’s discretion and responsibility.*
