HBO is releasing a new documentary later this month, which was filmed solely in virtual reality platform, VR Chat. We Met in Virtual Reality will explore the connections and relationships users develop in virtual worlds.
VR Chat is a popular virtual reality platform comparable to SecondLife in terms of gameplay. Users interact through 3D avatars and can even their own worlds.
The documentary showcases American Sign Language teacher Jenny’s attempts to create a VR community for the deaf and hard of hearing through VR Chat. Additionally, We Met In Virtual Reality follows two couples who met in VR as their relationships grow and they prepare to meet in person.
DustBunny is a fitness dance instructor who is expanding her career into teaching virtual reality dance classes. She teaches these classes with Toaster, her significant other, whom she met in VR. The second couple the documentary follows is IsYourBoi and DragonHeart. Both are performers who met via the VR exotic dance community.
The documentary utilizes the traditional documentary format to show how intimate relationships blossom in digital spaces.
“We Met in Virtual Reality tenderly documents the stories of people experiencing love, loss and unexpected connection, expressing vulnerability around mental health struggles and questions about identity, offering a hyper real journey into the human experience of an online world that may soon shape the future,” writes HBO.
We Met in Virtual Reality premieres on July 27 at 9 pm on HBO and will also be streaming on HBO Max.
Virtual Reality on the Rise
Meta is currently one of the top contenders in VR with its Quest headset and Horizon Worlds platform. However, other companies are battling for a place in the VR industry. Pico released its new VR headset to European customers in May. While Apple’s AR/VR headset may reach consumers in the not-too-distant future. Additionally, horror game classic, Resident Evil 4 is being revamped for VR
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
