A lot of my personal experience within virtual reality has been thru VRChat, a social VR platform and game that can be accessed via Steam, iOS, Android and Meta. During the COVID19 pandemic, a lot of people took to online spaces to find a "third space" of their own since we couldn't leave our homes or gather anywhere outside like we used to. VRChat and other VR platforms such as Rec Room, Neos (now gone forever, RIP), and Resonite encouraged people to find communities from the comfort of their own home.
Well what is virtual reality? Virtual reality refers to 3D rendered environments that can simulate real life. Experiencing VR can be done via a headset, such as the Meta Quest or the Valve Index, but some virtual experiences can be done even thru your own desktop. You won't be able to see the environment the way that it was meant to be viewed (in all of its 3D glory) but your computer will be rendering the environment all the same either way. You can even experience platforms such as VRChat on your mobile device! From games like RUMBLE where you become an earthbending athlete, to very immersive and interactable VR experiences like Real VR Fishing, virtual reality has a lot to offer and to explore.
I know there are massive hangups that many will have about VR. Unfortunately there have been many pieces of content made discussing the predatory nature of VR spaces, especially in platforms like VRChat and Resonite. These platforms and other VR experiences have the reputation that all people do in there is do drugs and trip out at some crazy lights and shit, but it's not all that happens in these spaces. In my time trying out what the communities in these spaces have to offer, I cannot in any good faith agree with these pieces of content wholeheartedly. Reducing virtual reality to nothing but a way for troubled people to escape from the "real world" is a lame argument. People have said the same for gamers, DND players, furries - anyone on the margins of modern digital existence. I think it's wrong.
Now you're probably thinking, what is VR to you then, Gojo, that makes it so fucking special?
Many communities that have found a home in VR are not interested wholly in escapism, but rather unique expressions in art, music, dance, you name it. I have attended events such as Trans Day of Visibility run by nonprofit orgs like Trans Academy and VRelium. I have been to beautiful, VR art exhibits with hand painted pieces done entirely in virtual reality. I have cried my eyes out at stories from the VR community told thru the medium of film, such as The Reality of Hope and We Met in Virtual Reality. I've seen beautiful live performances in VR, from dancers at Obsidian Garden and PSHQ: VIP Room to hearing live singers like Lydian Melody and Naku.
a picture taken during an event at THE TOWER
Approaching VR as a medium rather than just another still new, still developing technology is what I think is necessary. Don't come into these VR experiences thinking it's all about tech and money. It is far from that. What makes VR unique when approached as a medium is the 3D aspect to it. Anyone can take models, meshes, assets, or even create their own, and then put them into a virtual environment to be experienced in VR through software like Unity and Unreal Engine. Unity having such a wide-spread community allows for creative materials to be easily accessible, making VR a medium that can - on some level - be used by anyone with a computer.
This is a very long spiel from me, but this medium and the people, communities, and experiences I've had thru it have been genuinely life changing, and a big part of this site is dedicated to highlighting a lot of that.
You can visit the Official VRChat website linked to the left if you would like to learn more about the platform yourself.
If you'd like to add me on VRChat, you're more than welcome to! Add me via my linked vrc profile and do send me an email if you'd like to meet up.
I will eventually archive a bunch of photos I took in VRChat in 2025 on VRC Pic, a site for VRChat players to share their pictures and connect with photographers in the scene.
myoshi.co is a private platform / site made for users in virtual reality platforms like VRChat and Resonite and for Vtubers. The site boasts a feeling of the "old web".
Check out VRC Timeline in case you'd like to see what events are happening with times set in your timezone. Mostly filled with music events.
