It's not so much a technical barrier but rather a UI barrier.

In the Overview effect, virtual desktops are displayed as a flat one-dimensional list due to space constraints. However this may not actually not accurate; the true layout can be two-dimensional with any number of rows and columns. I think before we can allow re-arranging virtual desktops, we first need to display the true arrangement of Virtual Desktops in the effect. Otherwise it's just too confusing.

(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> It's not so much a technical barrier but rather a UI barrier.
> 
> In the Overview effect, virtual desktops are displayed as a flat
> one-dimensional list due to space constraints. However this may not actually
> not accurate; the true layout can be two-dimensional with any number of rows
> and columns. I think before we can allow re-arranging virtual desktops, we
> first need to display the true arrangement of Virtual Desktops in the
> effect. Otherwise it's just too confusing.

This would make sense. I might require other bug reports or some proposals. I am happy to help there.

*** Bug 449910 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Would swapping the windows within virtual desktops (so none of the virtual desktops actually need to be moved themselves) help get around that UI barrier? I noticed that this is already possible with the existing Desktop Grid effect if you drag the desktop background instead of a specific window, as per 5.24 it's the last feature that I miss from the Overview effect (not that I'm opposed to being able to rearrange instead, I can work with either).

I would love to see this. It would greatly enhance the workflow of people who rely on virtual desktops to group together related tasks because they could rearrange desktops that are often switched between in close proximity.

Users should be able to dynamically rearrange virtual desktops by dragging them with the mouse or using a keyboard shortcut. The latter is probably more geared towards power-users.

Git commit 028dd552cfb9d826b40b9620d869c98d2aa3dca3 by Niccolò Venerandi.
Committed on 25/09/2023 at 13:14.
Pushed by niccolove into branch 'master'.

Merge desktop grid and overview together with a new three-state design

Merges the desktop grid and overview effects together in a new three-state one;
you can switch between them with a certain shortcut or gesture, and you can also
still access either the desktop grid or overview directly.

Default shortcuts are also updated to be Meta+G for Grid, Meta+W for Overview,
Meta+Tab to switch between the three states and Meta+Shift+Tab to cycle in the
opposite direction.
Related: bug 474044, bug 460661, bug 460774, bug 456572, bug 450262, bug 449801, bug 461510, bug 463886, bug 459754, bug 459749, bug 459748, bug 459467
FIXED-IN: 6.0

M  +2    -0    CMakeLists.txt
A  +7    -0    kconf_update/CMakeLists.txt
A  +20   -0    kconf_update/kwin-6.0-overview-activities-shortcuts.py
A  +11   -0    kconf_update/kwin.upd
M  +16   -3    src/libkwineffects/effecttogglablestate.cpp
M  +3    -1    src/libkwineffects/effecttogglablestate.h
M  +0    -1    src/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
D  +0    -49   src/plugins/desktopgrid/CMakeLists.txt
D  +0    -127  src/plugins/desktopgrid/desktopgrid_config.cpp
D  +0    -48   src/plugins/desktopgrid/desktopgrid_config.h
D  +0    -206  src/plugins/desktopgrid/desktopgrid_config.ui
D  +0    -32   src/plugins/desktopgrid/desktopgridconfig.kcfg
D  +0    -9    src/plugins/desktopgrid/desktopgridconfig.kcfgc
D  +0    -250  src/plugins/desktopgrid/desktopgrideffect.cpp
D  +0    -99   src/plugins/desktopgrid/desktopgrideffect.h
D  +0    -18   src/plugins/desktopgrid/main.cpp
D  +0    -92   src/plugins/desktopgrid/metadata.json
D  +0    -306  src/plugins/desktopgrid/qml/DesktopView.qml
D  +0    -328  src/plugins/desktopgrid/qml/main.qml
M  +27   -6    src/plugins/overview/kcm/overvieweffectkcm.cpp
M  +15   -1    src/plugins/overview/kcm/overvieweffectkcm.ui
M  +3    -0    src/plugins/overview/overviewconfig.kcfg
M  +229  -24   src/plugins/overview/overvieweffect.cpp
M  +37   -16   src/plugins/overview/overvieweffect.h
M  +44   -36   src/plugins/overview/qml/DesktopBar.qml
M  +541  -193  src/plugins/overview/qml/main.qml
M  +24   -18   src/plugins/private/qml/WindowHeapDelegate.qml
M  +1    -0    src/plugins/windowview/qml/main.qml
M  +0    -2    src/plugins/windowview/windowvieweffect.cpp

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kwin/-/commit/028dd552cfb9d826b40b9620d869c98d2aa3dca3