VR on TV

Over the years I’ve spotted and grabbed photos of TV shows that randomly include someone in a VR headset, as part of whatever that episodes plot is about. I’m not talking about shows that focus around VR, like Upload (Amazon Prime), 3 Body Problem (Netflix) or Wild Palms ({more}), I’m talking about these occasions that are just inclusions of a VR headset for often no real apparent reason.

There’s shows like The Simpsons that I’ll just post here as it has been pretty prolific over the years including VR in a number of episodes.

1993–2020: Just 12 episode stills, there’s probably more for sure since then

Films tend to either be focused around VR or often don’t include random inclusion shots, I guess down to timing and filming schedules, pacing or positioning within a specific time/space. Of course there are a number of films based on VR, like Ready Player One, Matrix and Avalon (no I’m not going to mention that other one, we all mow it exists).

So I thought it would be fun to catalogue all the times a VR headset has apparently randomly appeared in a TV show episode. I’ll start by digging through my memory and recollection but if you can think of specific shows / episodes, be sure to let me know in the comments to find stills and add them to the list!

In rough chronological order…
Total N# Shows: 22; Last updated Feb 26th 2025

Mythic Quest — S04E05 (Apple TV, 2025)

Still using HTC Vive Focus 3 HMDs

Doc — S01E02 (Hulu, 2025)

The doc wears a Sony PS VR in an MRI scan ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Dr Xands Con or Cure — S02E13 (BBC, 2024)

Dr Xands tries out Deep VR with Sarah Ticho

Silo — S02E04 (Apple TV, 2024)

Kind of looks like an Oculus (meta) Quest with a flatter front

Narrow Escapes — S01E06 (Channel 4, 2024)

Oculus (meta) Quest 2 being used for fitness on a canal boat

Hacks — S03E01 (2024)

Oculus (meta) Quest 2 playing Beat Saber

Hacks — S??E?? (2021–2024)

Another Oculus (meta) Quest 2 inclusion

Uncanny — S01E02 (BBC, 2023)

Quest 2 and weighted vests for sleep paralysis simulation

Always Sunny in Philadelphia — S16E06 (Netflix, 2023)

HTC Vive Rabbids LBEVR installation

Mythic Quest — S03E05 (Apple TV, 2022)

Random product placement for HTC Vive Focus 3

Space Force — S02E06 (Netflix, 2022)

Oculus Quests show secret Space X facilities and both sides of VR reactions

Superstore — S05E09 (Netflix, 2019)

Random product placement for Oculus (meta) Quest

Better Than Us – S01E04 (Netflix 2019)

A wireless HTC Vive — Vive and wands are used to control a “bot”

Your Home Made Perfect (BBC Two, 2019–2024+)

Still using Oculus Go HMDs, the same ones over 5 years / 4 series? Eeew, hope they’re cleaned well

Your Garden Made Perfect (BBC Two, 2021–2022)

Same Oculus Gos as Your Home Made Perfect probably

Silicon Valley — S04E08 (HBO 20217)

Richard tries out a mocvk-up prototype (actually the Avegent “Glyph”)

Dara O Briain’s Go 8-Bit — S01E04 (UKTV 2016)

Dara plays HTC Vive / SteamVR “The Lab — Archery”

Big Bang Theory — S09E20 (Channel 4, 2016)

Sheldon goes on an adventure using a Zeiss VR One

Community — S06E02 (Amazon Prime, 2015)

Dean Pelton uses a made-up-for-TV VR setup

House M.D. — S06E03 (Amazon Prime, 2009)

Taub and Thirteen adopt VR to help a patient, with imaginary VR HMDs

3rd Rock From the Sun — S04E17 (1999)

Dick wears what looks to be a VFX1 HMD

Red Dwarf — S06E03 (BBC 1993)

Gunmen of the Apocalypse made-up VR HMDs

Murder She Wrote — S10E05 (1993)

Angela Lansbury gets her hands on virtual murderers

Star Wars Christmas Special — 1978 (YouTube)

I have no words

Am sure there are lots (?) more? Let me know below…