When Ela Darling, 31, stepped onto her first virtual reality camgirl set in a college dorm room wearing a R2-D2 swimsuit and high athletic socks she knew she had found her niche. A veteran of online pornography, she understood that VR’s ability to create a sense of immersion and intimacy could transform her work and the adult entertainment industry.
“VR is a game changer,” she says, predicting that by 2025 pornography will be the third largest sector of the industry, behind video games and N.F.L. content. This growth is a result of the emotional and physical closeness that viewers experience with their virtual partners. “VR gives you a more personal connection,” she explains, “and you can really have the feeling that you’re in the same room with the performer.”
That’s why some VR pornographers, who are known as ‘cam girls’, are expanding their offerings to include massages and sex scenes. Others are experimenting with new technologies such as vibrators or penis pumps that are linked to their stream and deliver pulses of pleasure when the viewer’s tokens reach their models. And still others are exploring augmented reality (AR), which will allow them to show their bodies in a three-dimensional space and interact with their audience.
Some of the more daring streamers are even going so far as to offer virtual avatars that can be custom-made to look like a specific person, which they then tease and seduce. For clients with money to spare, this can be the perfect way to have a sexy conversation with someone they fantasise about: their ex, their boss or their best friend’s partner.
But not everyone is comfortable with these voyeuristic advancements. While watching 2D pornography isn’t considered cheating, interacting with virtual people through VR definitely crosses that line and paves the way for infidelity. And if the virtual person is a cam girl, then there’s even more reason to worry about cheating.
For now, most mainstream VR pornography is still heteronormative and cisgender, with its prevailing consumer base consisting of straight men. But there are also a growing number of niche communities that have carved out their own audiences, including LGBTQ+ and trans women who want to use the technology to experiment with different kinds of kinks.
But there are many who fear that this technology will be too easy to misuse and abused by bigots, racists or people who hate women. It’s a very real possibility that, as the technology gets better, it will be used by haters of all kinds to exploit vulnerable people. For now, it’s up to industry insiders to make sure the future of adult VR is a positive and safe one for everyone. “It’s important to remember that we’re all human and that sex is a fundamental human need,” says Ms. Darling. “It’s up to us to make sure that we don’t turn this technology into a weapon against each other.” She adds: “We are in the age of censorship.” And for now, it seems like we’re headed for a wild ride.