Virtual Reality Experiences for Transgender People
For the past two years I have been a huge virtual reality (VR) enthusiast. Over that time, I wondered how the technology could be used to experience being a gender other than the one that was assigned at birth. For those of you who are unfamiliar with VR, the typical setup has a headset that tracks your head movement so that the view changes depending on where you look. Built-in are separate screens for each eye, giving you a 3D view. You hold a controller in each hand and these allow you to manipulate objects in the virtual world, much like you would in the real one. Many experience can be quite immersive, making you feel like you are in another world. However, most games don't really show your body; you might see a weapon you are holding, or maybe a pair of hands floating in front of you as visual analogs of your real hands. As such, it is hard to get a sense of gender, even when you are playing a female character.
More recently I've discovered two games that are steps in the right direction. Rec Room is a giant multi-player social platform. You can go into different spaces and meet players from all over the world, and play games with them. Games range from role playing quests, to dodgeball and paintball, to charades. You can customize your avatar, choosing long hair and a dress, if that's what suits you, and even have the game automatically pitch your voice higher or lower when talking to other players. The avatar is very cartoon-like, and doesn't even have legs, but you make it clearly look like a woman (or a man) if you choose. Unfortunately, you cannot see your body in game except when in front of a (virtual) mirror, but it does give you the chance to present yourself as a woman to others, while in the safety of your home and maintaining anonymity. I could see how this could help someone gradually explore their gender before stepping outside of the home.
A second game is Dance Central VR. This is basically a dancing game in the vein of Just Dance, except with a bit of story stretched around it. You spend your time in a dance club and meet various characters. You earn their respect by dancing with them. Again, you can customize your avatar, which although still somewhat of a cartoon, is much more realistic than Rec Room. You can pick from two female and two male body types, multiple faces, and a ton of hair options. Your clothing options include a skirt, a short-shorts with stockings option, leggings, etc. You can check yourself out in the mirror, but the best part is when you're in the game you see your full arms (which match your chosen body type) and when you look down, you see your legs and whatever clothes your are wearing. Then you get to dance in the club and doing the various moves following your dance partner really gets me in a femme headspace. It's the closest I've come to feeling like a woman in VR. I hope this is only a sign of things to come for the future of VR.
Does anyone else here play VR? Any other games you would recommend to M2F transgender individuals?
Jamie
