I feel like the metaverse is an unavoidable certainty. The only thing that might undermine its arrival and existence would be some kind of global catastrophe.
With the amount of time that modern humans voluntarily spend holding a screen in their hand, it doesn't take much of a leap to consider the mass transition to lightweight, wireless, high-definition headsets/glasses, be it for AR, VR, or both. This migration to AR/VR will, in my opinion, be the start of the next evolutionary chapter for humans, for better or worse.
The culmination will be akin to Ready Player One, I think. A massive multiverse of human creation, from productivity to entertainment, to education, to play, and everywhere in between.
And from there, the progression from externally-applied gear, like headsets/glasses, to direct brain augmentation/manipulation. Maybe something on your head, maybe something in your head. After all, why bother with clunky haptic gloves and bodysuits, when you can interface directly with the brain?
I doubt I'll live long enough to see it all become the stuff of my imagination, but I'm hoping it at least gets a solid foundation down before I'm too old to enjoy it.
Regardless, the metaverse is coming. And with it, a fundamental shift in how humanity lives. Like with all things, there will be good and bad. But be, they will.