One of the two top VR porn aggregator sites – SexLikeReal – has posted a VR self-care guide on their blog. After pointing out some alleged benefits of VR for stress relief, as well as the ethical nature of SexLikeReal, it posits several ‘skill building benefits’ of VR porn.
Skill Building At Your Pace
Practising arousal control solo can help some people carry skills into partnered sex without pressure.
- Edging and stop-start: Recognised behavioural options for premature ejaculation in urology guidance. Practise slowly and focus on breathing.
- Curate what you see: VR lets you choose performers, bodies, and dynamics that feel affirming, which can support body confidence over time.
- Performer well-being matters: Learn how SLR supports sexual wellness and mental health in the industry and resources like Pineapple Support.
Back in 2022 and SexLikeReal were openly pondering whether they should transform themselves from a hardcore VR porn site into a ‘sexual wellness’ site, leading me to question whether a lifetime subscription to them was safe. This was around the time that Visa and Mastercard were cracking down on porn sites not adhering to their strict new regulations introduced in the light of the Pornhub ‘trafficking’ scandal. In the end, SexLikeReal didn’t convert into a SFW ‘sexual wellness’ site, but they did pull a bucket load of their videos whilst they figured out what was still permissable under the new credit card compliance rules.
I don’t think this new blog post on VR sexual wellness should set alarm bells ringing. It seems to me that SexLikeReal are simply trying to promote their brand in a positive light, and it’s good for the VR porn industry in general that they do highlight the many benefits to ‘sexual wellness’ that immersive porn offers. Whilst this might be a marketing exercise on their part, the question as to whether VR porn is more ‘ethical’, or that it at least has some ‘wellness’ advantages over traditional 2D porn is a valid and interesting one.
According to a 2021 study titled “VR Porn as “Empathy Machine“, fifty male participants were shown two porn videos – one 2D and one VR (these were shown from a variety of 2D and VR videos randomly). The researchers not only found that the participants “felt more desired, more flirted with, more looked into the eyes” and “more connected with the actors” watching the VR movies compared to the 2D movies, but they discovered something very interesting when testing the participant’s saliva. Greater levels of the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin were found in the saliva of participants after watching the VR porn than after watching the 2D porn, and was “related to the perceived eye-contact with the virtual persons indicating a role for the social neuropeptide in the perception of increased intimacy and interaction in VR.” The researchers concluded that “VR pornography seems to be a powerful tool to elicit the illusion of intimate sexual experiences”.
Of course, some will say that porn that creates the illusion of sexual intimacy is even more dangerous. It seems to me obviously less ‘toxic’ or dangerous than mindlessly beating off to porn tube clips that you feel no emotional connection with. At the very least, ’emphatic’ VR porn should alleviate loneliness, as well as being a very useful therapeutic aid to those suffering from sexual anxiety problems.
