Black immersive virtuality: Racialized experiences of avatar embodiment and customization among Black users in social VR

Previous research has uncovered racialized avatar experiences in desktop virtual worlds, but less attention has been given to how this has evolved into the more immersive medium of social virtual reality (VR). Leveraging Intersectional Tech and the Virtual Identity Discrepancy Model as frameworks, we report on findings from two complementary studies aimed at understanding the avatar embodiment experiences of Black users on VRChat, a popular social VR platform. Study 1 draws on interview findings (n = 11) to examine how Black users navigate, negotiate, and respond to avatar-based racial inequity and defaults of whiteness in this immersive context. Participants took on racialized burdens and immersive repercussions when curating their digital appearance, including embodied glitches, navigating racialized encounters with avatar creators, relying on DIY solutions (e.g., learning avatar creation), and conscious consideration of the marginalization of Black virtual bodies when selecting their representation. Study 2 extends these findings with a quantitative experimental study (n = 41) that examined how the discrepancy between physical and virtual attributes influenced Black users' psychological experience in social VR while manipulating their avatar's visibility. Avatar discrepancy was negatively correlated with spatial presence and, in the absence of a virtual mirror, avatar discrepancy was negatively correlated with avatar embodiment. We use these mixed-methods findings to identify new perspectives on the embodied consequences of racial discrepancies in social VR, underscoring the privilege of immersion. By centering perspectives from Black users and discussing implications for designers and researchers, we expand avatar research on the multi-faceted experiences of racially marginalized users in social VR and Black virtuality.