Virtual reality porn is here, and it’s only going to get bigger. There’s an unbelievable amount of money being invested in improving the technology behind VR porn. But it’s not only going to affect how we watch and engage with porn, it’s also going to have a big impact on how we have sex in the real world. Here’s what you need to know about VR porn, and the potential ways it will impact human sex.
What Is VR Porn?
Virtual reality porn is filmed to make you feel like you’re actually in the scene with the porn actors and actresses. Unlike the passive experience of watching 2-D porn, VR porn is designed to be an immersive 360-degree experience. Using special cameras and equipment, VR porn is filmed to make it feel like your head is attached to an actor or actresses’ body. You can look out into the room or down to your VR body, and other characters in the scene approach you and do things to you. So, while you’re not watching a dirty scene unfold in front of you while you stand in the corner of a room, you’re also not making many movements yourself.
How Does It Work?
As of now, the VR porn setup is quite complicated. It requires the usage of a special VR headset, like the pricey Oculus Rift or the budget Google Cardboard. You also have to find specially filmed VR videos, which aren’t very plentiful at the moment. The videos tend to cater almost exclusively to heterosexual men, and typically showcase more vanilla or mainstream sex acts. There are even fewer free VR videos, so you’ll often need to pay for your experience. Many videos require you to download instead of stream them, so you’ll need a lot of space on your computer (and more diligence if you need to remove any evidence from said computer). You may also need to use specialty programs to help you fully venture into the VR world. Some setups can be paired with sex toys, so you can have intercourse or oral sex simulated by a sex toy. There are even add-ons that can release scents into the air, making the experience feel even more immersive.
I’ve read a lot of first-person descriptions of watching VR porn, and the general consensus has been that using it was clunkier and less enjoyable than they would have thought. There are the common complaints that any new technology would be subject to, like the fact that almost all VR porn is filmed to be 180 degrees instead of the typical 360 degrees of other VR video. There can also be glitches in the videos, which can ruin the immersive feeling. Your VR avatar has to stay mostly still in the video, so you’re basically just watching one person do all of the work. Although some moments can feel wildly realistic (more on this below), many consumers said the illusion is quickly ruined once the characters actually start having sex. Plus, trying to masturbate while watching a video often feels like it kills the illusion as well. You simultaneously feel like you’re really there and really not there.
Several authors spoke about an increased paranoia about being caught masturbating with VR porn, since it’s easier to get caught off-guard when you’re lost in your headset, and not as easy to get rid of the evidence if someone walks in on you (no slamming your laptop shut or quickly closing the tab). Feeling more anxious during masturbation could translate to feeling more anxiety during sex itself.
There’s also the possibility that VR porn can create more performance issues. As a sex therapist, I have been concerned about the effect that watching 2-D porn can have on both men and women alike. Porn is designed to be entertainment, and it’s meant to pull your attention away from yourself and onto the screen. But paying attention to your own body is crucial for being able to control your erection and your orgasm, and even to simply enjoy sex itself. If VR porn makes you feel even more detached from your own body than traditional porn, there could be some serious concerns.
VR porn also brings up fascinating moral issues. In particular, does watching VR porn count as cheating? If the setup is designed to make you feel like you’re being seduced and a porn star is doing things to you, and you’re meant to feel like you’re actually having sex with someone else, does that make it more intimate than passively watching two random actors get it on with each other?
On the flipside, there are some exciting potential positive effects of VR porn. Some companies are talking about using VR for sexual education. Programs could be created to help men and women build sexual skills in less intimidating environments. Some videos already guide users through relaxing breath exercises and Kegel exercises, or focus on reminding men to spend more time on foreplay.
As the technology gets more advanced and interactive, there could also be the potential to create live role-playing scenarios where you practice divulging your STI status, asking for consent, or making sexual requests. Or you could even practice skills like performing manual stimulation or oral sex, or trying different sex positions.
But perhaps the most fascinating aspect of VR porn comes from what many are calling the empathy effect. While users of VR porn have complained that the experience can feel clunky and not as pleasurable as they had anticipated, many have also been surprised to realize that they were most turned on by subtle moments of connection. In particular, a lot of users were thrilled by how intimate it felt to make eye contact with the characters in the films. Another favorite was when the actor or actress came in close to the user’s face, or whispered in their ears. Many users have said they felt more connected to the people on the screens in front of them, and they felt more aroused by those little moments of connection than by the sex itself.
Whereas traditional porn has gotten more and more extreme, the thrill of VR porn seems to be in the subtle moments. In that way, VR porn may ironically help people get more excited about real-world intimacy.
