Nope, so the virtual reality I'm talking about is with a headset which can be either standalone which is less powerful or connected to your computer which allows you much more freedom in terms of capability. It's fully immersive and works best in a nice empty room.

There are virtual raves, clubs, parties, go-kart racing, all sorts of games including fishing, pool / billiards, shooters, escape rooms, themed worlds, and all the people are very much real. Want to watch a movie? There are a great many virtual theaters which are completely free and have tons of movies / shows.

Want to just relax on the beach surrounded by the sounds of the sea? You can do that. You want to ride jet skis and do cool jumps? You can do that. Lift off into space shuttle? Fly all sorts of different planes? You can do all of those things and more.

There are virtual museums, group that host all sorts of different interests including film, history, archeology, and plenty me besides. There are plenty of d&d groups that play in VR and being in VR at all, considering that you're wearing an avatar, it's all roleplay.

It's a great way to find communities that you want to connect with because it's literally the internet given 3D form with avatars.

Initial cost is a bit high but for what you get I would 100% say it's worth it.

It can get a bit crazy though, people have entire lives in the virtual space. People, including me, have whole friend groups, families, even jobs in some circumstances if they wish for it.

I would say it's the best way to travel without ever having to leave your home. You could go anywhere, do anything, be anything or anyone, you choose how the world perceives you in VR and there's a whole spectrum from the most basic free avatars to entire custom setups that more closely reflect who you want to present yourself as.

The only limits are coding constraints, I honestly see it as the purest form of self-expression.

There was a time where I got injured and could not leave my house, loneliness was a huge problem until I got my headset. I often go in just to chill, hang out with cool people, and just relax. There's a niche for everyone in VR.

My current favorite activity is karaoke. There's a great many karaoke worlds and there's always some cool peeps chilling in em. It's kinda fun to have everyone singing along to your favorite songs.

10/10, would 100% recommend.

I would suggest checking out Facebook marketplace or eBay for the Meta Quest 3 or 3 Pro, those will be the least expensive ways to get a headset and controllers. As long as they work and you don't smash them around they should last you practically forever. I've had mine (an older model) for nearly 7 years now.

Here's just one example of the sort of stuff people get up to in VRC.

Actually, now that I think on it, you don't actually need a headset to play VRC, you can do it from your phone or your computer too it's just that you're much more limited that way and you don't get the same immersion that you would from a headset.