From Space to Place: Understanding Players’ Intentions to Migrate to the Exergame Metaverse from the Dual-Congruity Perspective

Many companies are committed to deploying the exergame metaverse portals that provide an ideal place for people to enjoy exercise. The prevalence of the exergame metaverse has raised a question: are people willing to migrate to the exergame metaverse? To answer this question, this study draws upon the dual-congruity perspective to propose a conceptual framework of player exergame metaverse migration behavior. A mixed-methods approach is employed in our study. Qualitative analysis conceptualizes self-congruity as a sense of embodiment and functional congruity as a feeling of telepresence. We also recognize several factors that contribute to embodiment and telepresence. Subsequent quantitative study shows that embodiment positively influences cognitive appraisal but does not significantly influence affective appraisal. Telepresence positively influences affective appraisal and cognitive appraisal, which in turn, positively affect players’ intention to migrate to the exergame metaverse. Practical implications are discussed for managers to design, deploy, and improve the exergame metaverse.