This is Why People Think VR Sucks (FloatVR Review)
I took the “infinite relaxing journey in strange generative worlds” and I’m sorry to say, I wouldn’t go back. These are the reasons why.
When I first discovered FloatVR, I was excited and wanted to love it. I had recently started meditation after years of putting it off.
My first go-to was Supernatural: Unreal Fitness, which I primarily used for workouts. However, they also offered guided and self-guided meditation options [click here for my review].
Supernatural’s meditation program was simple and worked great, but it was a little boring. I accidentally stumbled upon FloatVR (and I cannot remember how or why). I immediately signed up for early access and intended to run at it that week.
In the meantime, I was in their email onboarding marketing flow, which helped introduce me to the app. When I finally found the time to dive in, I was prepared for what I thought I would experience.
This is how one of the FloatVR team members described the app on Reddit:
“Float isn’t a game — it’s an infinite relaxing journey in strange generative worlds. You can use it for free forever, or subscribe to unlock additional features.”
My experience was different from what I expected. To be clear, FloatVR’s vision of itself and its marketing are better than the product itself.
My first time floating, I was in a rush. I pushed through the initial prompts and got into a float session. I initially liked it. The premise is simple: A one-of-a-kind experience that exists only once and only for you. This meant that each FloatVR session would be as unique as you are.
I found myself floating around in one direction through what felt like a tube in space. There were shapes, patterns, and “creatures” soaring around me. Many looked like space whales or sting rays. This was precisely what I was in the mood for; it was just something to lie down and chill with.
When my session ended, I shut down my Meta Quest 3 and went on with my day, feeling better and refreshed than I had previously. Great.
Only when I went for my second session did I realize how unimpressive FloatVR truly is. My third float session was all I needed to confirm that I “disliked” it, putting it kindly.
The second time I used the app, I was not in a rush. This meant I started paying attention, and that’s when I noticed all the things I didn’t like about the app:
- The annoying, unnecessary prompts
- Dated and uninspiring interface (like a video game from the 1990's)
- The low-quality experience
I’m not alone. Other comments and reviews online mention the app has “potential,” which is another way of saying it sucks right now, and maybe they’ll make it better if they don’t go broke first.
Unfortunately, FloatVR is why many people think the metaverse sucks and why virtual reality isn’t quite there. Thankfully, this app does not reflect the high quality in the metaverse. It is an example of a good idea executed poorly and a low-quality VR experience.
In the FloatVR trial version, you’re limited to what options you can use without paying. While I would never demand someone provide something full-featured for free, there are many better trial experiences in the metaverse. The subscription price as of this writing was $4.99/mo with Lifetime plans for $55.90 (although I would not bet on them being around long enough to get your money’s worth).
To make matters worse, when I was writing this article, I had nothing but problems trying to access the FloatVR.io website. For more than 30 minutes, I attempted type-ins, Google searches, and even clicked links from their email marketing. Most of the time, the website wouldn’t load. Sometimes, it gave me a Cloudflare timeout error. When the website finally (reluctantly) let me in, the progress spinner just kept spinning and spinning.
So, even though I needed to be more impressed with the free options to consider throwing $5 their way, I couldn’t upgrade even if I wanted to because their website wouldn’t load. (That seems like something they’d like to get right).
Without the ability to upgrade, I had four basic options: Relax, Energize, Float Lab, and Imagine.
Relax was the first meditative experience I tried. It consists of randomized stuff floating in space, low-quality graphics, low creativity, and a big dose of weirdness. Like the rest of the experiences, the video quality feels cheap and unrefined — like someone’s first game that doesn’t come close to competing with what’s already out there.
Energize mode initially felt pretty good until I realized it would just be me shooting down a long tube for 3 minutes. Yawn. Maybe it would have been more fun with some cannabis. During my energize session, I experienced something I had never had in my years playing VR — it started to make me feel motion sick.
Imagine was the final session type I tried, and it felt more impressive than the other two. Imagine felt like floating through futuristic worlds, but still needed more quality.
By this time, the clunky user interface was starting to drag on me. Do I need a prompt at the end of my session saying, “Hope you had a nice float!” instead of automatically going back to the main menu? No.
There are ample references to “early access,” “experimental,” and buttons to give “feedback,” which feel a lot like apologies from the developers to the users, begging for help to make it better.
Ultimately, FloatVR is a low-resolution experience that isn’t worth paying for an upgrade. Worse, though, it isn’t worth something much more valuable — your time. If BrainSwitch Labs continues to work on the app, maybe one day it will be worth it, but for now, it is a minimum-viable Beta product that is not ready for the public.
Don’t let this one discourage you. If you still don’t have a VR headset, use my link to the lowest-priced Meta Quest 3 and the earlier model Oculus Quest 2. Don’t forget to use my promo link to get $35 free from the Meta store when you connect your brand new headset.
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