A friend of mine used to say that the first question we ask when we’re introduced to a new piece of technology is, “how can I use this to have sex?” To that end, here’s how to use an Oculus Quest 2, PSVR, Vive, or other VR headset to have sex…or watch virtual porn, anyway.
How to watch VR Porn with an Oculus Quest 2
It’s almost comically easy to have an “entry-level” VR porn experience with an Oculus Quest 2 (or other headset).
Entry level porn VR porn viewing on an Oculus Quest 2
- Lock the door.
- Put on your headset.
- Click on the browser.
- Navigate to a site that hosts VR porn. Free video megasites like youporn have a VR section, or just use google to search something out.
- Using PlayStation VR: Sony’s PSVR seems to require some extra steps. I haven’t tried one, but here’s a PSVR specific porn-viewing guide.
That’s all you need to know to get a taste of the VR porn thing, but because of the massive file sizes of VR video, streaming is likely to be choppy, and free movies are probably not going to be in high resolution. To get a better experience, you’re going to have to (gasp) pay to watch it.
Advanced VR porn viewing
- Pick a VR Website. Because VR porn is relatively new, more costly to produce and has a smaller audience than “normal” adult videos, there aren’t an overwhelming number of sites dedicated to it. Most of them have sample videos to view, and some provide single-day access for very cheap so you can see if you dig it. Check out this list of the most well-known producers, and make a choice.
- Did you lock the door?
- Open the browser, navigate to your newly chosen site and enter your credit card digits. Membership fees vary from site to site, but expect a range of $20 to $30 a month.
From here, you can stream full-length videos at very high quality, but the streaming might still be choppy. If so…
- Download and save video to your device. These videos can be over 10 gigs, so it might take a little bit.
- Play the video back. Major VR headsets come with great video browsers, but if you want advanced features, download Skybox for 10 U.S. bucks. That way you can save video to your PC and stream from your computer easily.
If you want to get really advanced (it’s a pandemic, so no one should judge) you can delve into the world of virtual reality sex toys. These are devices designed to vibrate and oscillated in sync with videos. I have no idea how well these work, but if you do, let us know, I guess.
Is Virtual Reality Porn any good?
Now that you know how to view porn in virtual reality, you have to ask yourself if you should. Virtual reality’s “you are there” immersion provides an experience that is markedly different from traditional porn, but it’s not necessarily better. Like all things of this nature, it comes down to personal taste. I checked out a little bit of the stuff (for research purposes only, of course), and, without going into too much detail, here are the pros and cons:
Locked in perspective
The idea of putting the viewer right up in the action means the camera is locked to your perspective. If you like that kind of thing, it’s gravy for you, but if you don’t…well, you gave it a shot.
The performance
The camera/you feel very close to the performers in VR porn videos and the illusion is fairly convincing, but actually selling that kind of intimacy requires acting talent. It’s a different kind of performing than film or stage altogether, and, at the risk of being negative, many pornographic performers don’t have the chops to really pull it off, so it can just feel weird, and not sexy-weird. Again, your mileage may vary.
Limited content
Because it is more expensive and more difficult to shoot VR video, and there is a smaller audience, it seems like almost all VR porn is geared toward a mainstream porn audience. If you share the tastes of the majority of porn viewers, you’ll be really happy. If you’re into something more esoteric, you might find it difficult or impossible to find what you like, at least until more pervs join the virtual world.
Gender-bending
Most virtual reality porn is designed for heterosexual men, but not all of it. There is VR porn from the point-of-view of gay/bi men and women (straight, gay and bi) which provides maybe the most unique possibility of VR porn: Putting yourself in the skin of someone else. Looking down at yourself and seeing a different body (one that doesn’t skip ab day) is strange enough, but looking down and seeing a differently gendered body is positively freaky in the best possible way. I can only assume this will lead to a new age of empathy and the end of sexism and homophobia.
For couples?
Realistically, most porn is going to be consumed solo, but some couples are strapping on headsets (and maybe other devices) and incorporating the virtual into their shared real sex lives. I think a real experience while wearing a headset would be a little ridiculous, but I’m old fashioned. Maybe if this pandemic continues for a few more months, though…