How Social Virtual Reality Users Prepare Immersion

Abstract The field of VR studies and the industries that promote it are strongly shaped by the notion of immediacy, or the absence of mediation, an idea that holds considerable appeal in contemporary societies. User’s immersive response to the technological properties of the system is often described as instantaneous, something that “kicks in” almost suddenly once the 3D headset is worn. Rooted in phenomenological anthropology, my research among Social Virtual Reality (SVR) users in VRChat suggests a more complex process. SVR experiences develop gradually via prolonged exposure and bodily attunement, shifting from initial novelty toward practices of optimization. Their stories portray immersive experiences as materially, imaginatively and socially constructed over time, with knowledge about it circulating through interactions and media, and narratives articulated retrospectively.