VRChat (also works without VR) against loneliness with ME: not for everyone, but potentially life changing for some
TL;DR: VRChat can be a low effort way to feel much more socially present with others compared to other online options, eg with people virtually cuddling. Also it makes me feel much less disabled while being able to attend virtual events and explore virtual worlds with other people. Especially if you are housebound but can still tolerate screens and stimulation relatively well. It is not suitable for everyone, can be overwhelming, and it can be hard to find the right people or groups. Desktop or mobile is the easiest entry point, Virtual Reality (VR) is more immersive but harder to tolerate and more expensive.
I want to mention VRChat as a possible option for some people with ME/CFS who struggle with isolation. It has really helped me over the last few years, especially after making friends with people who I can just be around without having to do or say much. I only use it while lying down with a VR headset connected to my gaming PC. Exploring the endless amount of worlds created by other users can also be very exciting, when otherwise housebound, especially in world hopping events with other people. It makes me feel a lot less disabled, compared to trying to do things outside of my house. There are also tons of different kind of virtual group events going on in VRChat.
Unlike social media, voice / video calls, or text chat, VRChat can feel much more like actually spending time with other people. You can talk, watch movies together, explore virtual spaces, listen to music, cuddle, or simply sit quietly in the same environment. The feeling of sharing a space with someone can be really strong, especially when using a VR headset. This way your actual hand and head movements translates to the virtual world and you see things in real life size and with your head movements realistically changing your view. For me it is a totally different experience than any other virtual interaction. Although many people get some motion sickness in VR at first and some have problems with it permanently.
For many people with ME/CFS it will be too stimulating, particularly in VR. It can also be overwhelming at first to understand the options and how to get a good experience. However, there are tools that help a lot, such as adjusting who you hear based on distance, changing individual volume levels, or hiding specific avatars.
Good VR hardware can also be expensive. The most accessible options are likely the Quest 3 or Quest 3S if you want standalone VR without a PC. The best experience is having a strong gaming PC with a VR headset connected to it. The desktop version without VR is much easier to access and may be the best way to try VRChat first. It can also be used on Android and iPhone or iPad, though you need fairly good hardware and the experience is still more limited than on a decent desktop PC.
Another challenge is finding the right people and communities. Large public spaces are often chaotic and unpleasant, while the best experiences for us usually happen in smaller, quieter groups. There are also communities focused on resting and low activity socializing, for example the group "Cuddle?" which always has instances of the world "Cuddle & Sleep" where people are simply resting or talking quietly. It might also be interesting to form a small ME/CFS focused group for low energy socializing. There is also a calendar where you can see groups events that are scheduled at certain times.
So I would not recommend VRChat to everyone with ME/CFS. But if you enjoy online socializing, games, virtual worlds, or want a stronger feeling of presence and connection than other online platforms provide, it might be worth looking into.
I can also recommend this YouTube video about VRChat to get a better idea what it is about and if you might enjoy it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PHT-zBxKQQ
What are your thoughts on or experiences with VRChat?