Designing the fitverse: How vividness, interactivity, and presence drive metaverse fitness engagement

This paper examines how immersive design and social features in metaverse fitness services enhance user engagement, intention to use, and sustained participation. We combine Norman's System Design Theory, the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, and Flow Theory, to examine how the immersive design and social architecture of metaverse fitness applications shape user experiences. A sequential mixed-methods approach comprising 42 interviews with fitness-oriented users followed by a large U.S. survey (N = 819) analyzed with PLS-SEM and full reliability/validity checks produces consistent findings. We find that rich sensory design enhances focused absorption and task engagement with metaverse fitness services. Community-focused features strongly boost emotion and persistence, with these effects depending on users' fitness involvement, showing when to prioritize immersion versus social connection. We integrate design, presence, and flow to explain behavior in immersive services beyond entertainment, and extend metaverse research into health-focused retail. The results advise managers to enhance sensory features to sharpen focus, add social elements to sustain motivation, and adjust the mix based on user involvement. Applying these design principles can boost user retention, maintain engagement, and increase lifetime value, turning metaverse fitness into an effective health-promoting experience.