Multi-user latency synchronization algorithm for an immersive metaverse experience in optical cloud networks

The metaverse demands tightly synchronized latency among users to ensure coherent and immersive multi-user interactions. However, latency discrepancies caused by heterogeneous cloud selection and network routing significantly degrade the quality of collaboration. To address this multi-user latency synchronization (MULS) challenge, this paper proposes a multi-user cloud-network collaborative architecture based on the optical cloud network (OCN), which leverages fine-grained optical transport network (fgOTN) technology to provide synchronized and low-latency connectivity for multiple users. Built upon the proposed architecture, we propose a service experience model to quantify user experience from the perspective of latency synchronization, based on which we design the multi-user latency synchronization algorithm (MULSA) that jointly optimizes cloud node selection and routing strategies. Simulation results demonstrate that MULSA improves the overall service experience by 20%–30% and increases the service success rate by 3%–10% compared to baseline algorithms.