Here's the key results of my VRChat user survey with beloved VRC reporter Syrmor, primarily drawn from subscribers of his YouTube channel and my virtual world blog New World Notes. While it's not wholly scientific and has a relatively small sample size of 165 respondents, it is (I believe!) the first public survey of the rapidly growing and evolving virtual world community.
Which takes us right to the question above: Asked what they most love about VRChat, respondents overwhelmingly selected "Community":
"Personally I can say that VRChat has made life better for me as a whole," as user Fryman574 puts it. "I've had the ability to join communities I would have never known about if it weren't for VRC... [and] I've been able to meet so many cool people; like one of the best things to do in VRChat in my opinion is finding someone who has a story to tell and spend your day talking to this person. That's actually how I was able to meet my boyfriend of 6 months now."
Like this person and many others, VRC user Flamant says this community has offered social connections that have been difficult to find in the material world:
"I can be myself around other people in VRChat which is something i have always struggled with, with my social anxiety. And in that way it has helped me forge an identity as a person, now being able to be vulnerable and open myself up to others without fear. I have met some truly kind people in this virtual world that has come to feel more like a home than my actual surroundings..."
Next up: Avatar/ real life gender identity, how they first discovered VRChat, other virtual worlds VRC users play, VR usage, and much more:
Most Active VRChat Users Log-In With a VR HMD
This result is very notable, because according to VRChat's own reported data from 2019, only 30% of daily users logged in via an HMD. Either that's drastically changed in the last two years or (as seems likely), it reflects Syrmor's userbase of very dedicated, passionate, VRChat users. (More on that below.)
The Dedicated VRChat Community Skews Young
Over 86% of VRChat users surveyed are under 30 years old.
Most Dedicated VRChat Users are Male
While 66% identify as male, it's also very notable that nearly 1 in 5 VRChat users surveyed identify as Trans/non-binary, or otherwise outside traditional cis male/female categories. (By contrast, in a 2016 study, less than one percent of US citizens were estimated to be trans.)
"I’m a Transman," writes VRChat user Motelpools, "and VRChat helps me with my gender dysphoria by letting me see myself as a man. In VR, I can forget about my real body and the problems I have with it."
1 in 6 Have a VRC Avatar That's Not Their IRL Gender
This is very notable in comparison to a recent survey by VRChat sociologist Strasz, where 56% of respondents said they'd want to permanently be their avatar in real life.
However, as one anonymous respondent explains, this question might not fully capture the complexity of avatar identify in VRChat:
"VRC is the cutting-edge of gender identity and expression and people probably experiment with gender here more than anywhere else on the Internet," as they argue. "The VR vs. IRL gender relationship can’t be captured in a simple 'yes/no', and I think doing so hides the complexity of the question. It might also misrepresent many VRC users’ experiences with gender. A custom field for this question might capture many answers like "sometimes" or "it depends", but you might also receive anecdotes and qualitative data that may be insightful." (Fair point!)
Most Discovered VRChat via YouTube/Twitch
This answer, of course, reflects Syrmor's massive fanbase on YouTube; but then again, with over 1 million subscribers to his VRChat-centric channel, it's worth noting that much of the virtual world community's activity happens on VRChat -- and Syrmor himself is a key figure in that community.
"My life has improved--especially during COVID isolation--thanks to VRChat," writes Jonathanvair. "It's been a great opportunity to connect with deaf communities and also German speakers. But ultimately, it was Syrmor's empathetic platforming of strangers that convinced me to join in. Thanks for your time." (Emphasis mine, because it bears emphasizing!)
Most VRChat Users Also Play in Other Virtual Worlds
While a plurality of respondents describe VRChat as the only virtual world they play, a majority also play in other virtual worlds, with 1 in 5 selecting ROBLOX or Second Life.
One respondent almost describes VRChat as a vacation from Second Life:
"My kids and I are casual players who log in and hop around to all the populated areas just to explore and observe the antics together-- kind of like going to the zoo? It's what Second Life welcome areas used to be, or when hunting for green dots on the SL world map used to lead to fun and unexpected interactions with other players rather than the disappointment of, 'oh. more bots.'"
Thanks to everyone who took the survey, and added feedback in the open response form; and always, thanks to Syrmor for helping bring these insights to the community.
Next week I'll dive into part 2: What VRChat users would like to see improved in their world, and their concerns over monetization.
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