【VRChat】What is VR Sensitivity? It feels like you are actually being touched!

VR sensitivity—if you play VRChat, you may hear this term quite often. You might also wonder, “What is VR sensitivity?” There are probably quite a few people who feel that way. When playing that trash game called VRChat, I hear it every day.

Although I briefly touched on this topic in a previous article, VRChat has something called VR sensitivity (phantom sense). I’ll give a simple explanation of it here and then dive a bit deeper. Also, if you have a chance, I’d be delighted if you could take a look at that article as well!

What is VR sensitivity?

VR sensitivity is like an illusion created by the brain—it’s the sensation of being touched, even though you’re not actually touched, when an avatar in front of you reaches out in VR while you’re wearing a VR headset.

Apparently, this is called “phantom sense.”

It seems that

Phantom Sense: This expression focuses on phantom limbs. Strictly speaking, it’s not limited to VR; it refers to the general phenomenon of feeling sensations from non-existent (“phantom”) body parts, such as missing limbs or VR avatars, that do not physically exist (known as “phantom limb” sensations).

There are significant individual differences in this experience. Some people feel as if they are truly being touched, while others feel nothing at all. From my observation, it seems like about 40% feel something, and 60% don’t, though this can vary widely depending on the community you’re in. So, please take this as just a rough reference!

How sensitive are people with VR sensitivity?

Now that we’ve touched on the fact that VR sensitivity can vary from person to person, with some experiencing strong sensations and others experiencing none at all, I’ll outline what I know about the levels of sensitivity in different individuals.

LV1

• There is a feeling of being touched
• When holding hands, there is a sensation of being gripped

First, Level 1 involves feeling a sense of touch through the avatar, creating the sensation of being touched. This is what I would consider LV1. Generally, people with basic VR sensitivity experience this level, and having this degree of sensitivity makes VRChat much more enjoyable. By the way, I have this level of sensitivity myself.

LV2

• There is a sensation of temperature
• There is a sensation related to smells

For those who haven’t played VRChat, this might sound puzzling, but people with a higher sensitivity can experience sensations like these. To put it simply, when you enter a winter-themed world, you might feel cold, while in front of a campfire or in a summer-themed world, you might feel hot. It seems that temperature sensations are more prevalent than smells. At this level, I would say the sensitivity is quite strong.

LV3

• If someone is choking you, it can lead to a sensation of breathlessness.
• Pain sensations may also emerge.
• Sensitivity can develop in areas not typically found in humans (like animal ears or tails).

At this level, I would say that VR sensitivity is quite strong. People with this level of sensitivity should include in their profiles that they have heightened VR sensitivity and include warnings like “Please keep sharp objects away from me.”

LV4

Erogenous zones emerge.

Honestly, it seems like there are more people at this level than at Level 3. In this case, when engaging in intimate activities, individuals may start to feel aroused.

How do you actually develop VR sensitivity?

Some people have VR sensitivity, while others do not. To be honest, there are optimal levels for this. Creating VR sensitivity is often referred to as “growing” VR sensitivity.

There are various tips on how to develop this sensitivity, and while many methods are commonly discussed, I will explain my approach.

① Stand in front of a mirror with a friend.

② Have your friend touch your avatar’s arms.

③ While looking in the mirror, touch the same areas on your body that your friend is touching on your avatar.

Then, just believe in it.

In my case, I was taught that this is how to create the brain illusion to develop VR sensitivity.

It may seem like a simple method, but in reality, VR sensitivity is heavily influenced by the power of belief, so try your best to visualize it!

In the end

This time, I provided a brief summary about VR sensitivity, also known as phantom sense. Since there might be people who haven’t played VRChat, I want to emphasize once again that there are individuals in this game who experience VR sensitivity, and some even possess sensations of pain.

There are definitely people who feel real pain. I’ve seen a friend struggle to breathe after being choked right in front of me.

While this has turned into a bit of a cautionary article, if you can navigate and engage with VR sensitivity effectively, it can enhance your experience in VR social networks! VRChat is an excellent tool for long-distance relationships as well.

While platforms like Friend+ or Friends likely won’t have these issues, there might still be cases in public instances where someone suddenly points a weapon at you or starts shooting. In those situations, it’s best to exit the instance immediately.

or use a hide avatar option (to make the other person’s avatar invisible).

There are many other aspects of VRChat culture, so I would be glad if you could check out articles about those as well!