"Closer than Real": How Social VR Platform Features Influence Friendship Dynamics

Social virtual reality (VR) platforms offer unique features that can foster interpersonal relationships that are “closer than real.” This study investigates how these platform features influence friendship dynamics in social VR. Through semi-structured interviews with 23 Japanese VRChat users, we explored the characteristics of close relationships formed in social VR, the processes of relationship development, and the role of platform features in shaping these dynamics. Our findings reveal that social VR facilitates a form of selective self-presentation and co-presence through embodied avatars and rich environmental contexts, which can lead to rapid and intense friendship formation. Users reported developing close bonds without relying on real-life background information, instead focusing on perceived familiarity and compatibility within the virtual space, highlighted by the avatar’s appearance. Further, platform features such as “join” functions that allow users to teleport to friends’ locations, were assigned special meanings by users, contributing to developing friendships.