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Researchers recently tested romantic couples using virtual reality.
In one experiment involving 183 couples, partners participated in a novel activity either through VR or video.
Those using VR felt a stronger sense that they were actually sharing the same space and reported less boredom.
However, VR didn't directly improve relationship satisfaction or closeness compared with video in that experiment.
In another experiment involving 141 couples, a novel VR experience produced less boredom and greater post-interaction closeness than a mundane VR experience, though other results were mixed.
So VR isn't a proven relationship booster.
But the research suggests that making distant interactions feel like doing something together rather than merely talking on a screen could be an interesting direction for long-distance relationships.
© Behavioral Sciences (2025)