VR technologies and "virtual worlds" mostly attracts creepy people. General public don't want to deal with that kind of people hence they aren't interested in VR, real life is fun enough for them.
The only non creepy people owning VR headsets are those who use it to play racing and flying simulators.
2. "Metaverse" narrative was hijacked by crappy crypto scams
If the metaverse is to make a comeback, it needs a rebrand, and VR tech to be as affordable and low footprint as the average smartphone.