‘The music is better than at the clubs in Ohio': Virtual reality is the hottest new nightlife destination
VRChat, a video-game-like social platform hosted in virtual reality, saw more than 130,000 people in attendance on New Year's Day 2025, according to a VR culture blog. Before 2020, VRChat had hardly seen more than 20,000 concurrent users, according to Wired.
While virtual clubbing began in the early 2000s on platforms like Second Life, VRChat, and AltspaceVR, the COVID-19 lockdowns brought a new wave of virtual ravers as traditional nightclubs closed and people looked for online alternatives. Today, VR clubbers line up each week for dozens of fully immersive virtual parties hosted across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Thanks to major advances in motion tracking, haptic suits, and customizable avatars, people can now dance to popular DJ sets and socialize—all without leaving their homes.
Aside from the up-front hardware cost, events are free. But, like popular in-person clubs, there are often long lines for the most in-demand virtual nights, which are usually limited to around 80 guests due to software constraints.
VR clubbing carries its own risks. Psychiatrists and ER doctors have reported some attendees going on 'digital benders,' partying to the point of total exhaustion, according to Psychology Today. One partier told Wired he's had friends hospitalized after binge-drinking on VRChat. Another said he partied for nearly 12 nights straight last August—without once stepping outside his apartment.
Still, virtual partying has its perks. If the music's too loud, you can just turn it down. Ready to go home? No need to worry about Ubers or navigating public transport at 3 a.m. Personal safety and harassment are also less of a concern. Wired spoke to a trans woman from rural Ohio who described VRChat as offering 'a safer environment than a real-life club setting,' adding, 'the music is better than at the clubs in Ohio.'
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