McDonald’s Japan Unveils Official ‘VRChat’ World to Embrace Japan’s VTuber Craze

When you think about corporate brands diving into virtual reality, Meta often takes the spotlight. They’ve made deals for exclusive virtual spaces with big names like Wendy’s and created a quirky KFC escape room experience in the Horizon Worlds. But now, McDonald’s Japan is stepping into the virtual scene by launching its brand world in VRChat, highlighting the growth of this social VR platform in Japan.

This McDonald’s Japan VR world is available until June 17th. Although it’s not very large, it offers a cozy room where visitors can virtually snack on fries and take pictures at various photo spots. These include a giant fry container to clamber into and cutouts of McDonald’s mascots, surrounded by floating, flying fries and promotional material.

At first glance, this might seem like another typical brand promotion that Japan is known for, albeit entirely in virtual reality. However, this venture cleverly taps into recent trends to lure Japan’s Gen-Z into the virtual golden arches, mixing Japanese virtual streamers, or VTubers, with the popularity of VRChat.

The virtual world leans into McDonald’s recent marketing ventures in Japan, particularly celebrating the release of their ‘Tirori Mix’ music video collaboration. Since its debut in 2022, Tirori Mix has featured J-pop idols’ voices in an animated short that spruces up the “Tirori” chime heard in Japanese McDonald’s outlets when an order is ready. This year’s lineup showcases artists like Ado, YOASOBI, and Hoshimachi Suisei.

Why VRChat over Horizon Worlds, you might ask? While VRChat keeps its user statistics under wraps, it’s evident that Japanese users are among its biggest fans, making up more than 33% of the site’s visitors according to Similarweb. And there’s a solid reason for this favoritism.

Anyone who’s browsed VRChat can attest to its vast array of Japanese-themed worlds, from recreations of ancient Kyoto streets to quaint community corners. But one of VRChat’s standout features is the ability to create user-generated avatars, which has tremendous appeal.

Users can craft their avatars in 3D software like Blender or purchase them, and having the same avatar across different platforms is a big deal. This aspect has driven cross-promotion among VTubers dressed in anime-inspired fashion in Japan, where VTubing is a thriving industry.

Agencies such as Hololive, Nijisanji, and VShojo have tapped into Japan’s rich idol culture, recruiting and managing VTubers who utilize full VR avatars. Hoshimachi Suisei, featured in this year’s Tirori Mix, is a notable example. With over two million YouTube subscribers, she’s Japan’s leading music VTuber and has even performed live, graced TV screens, and climbed up the music charts.

On the other hand, Meta is striving to maintain active engagement in Horizon Worlds. Avatar customization there is quite limited, and the platform feels more closed off. Recently, Meta announced a $50 million creator fund aiming to spur new content creation in Horizon Worlds.

While Meta is likely eager to replicate the viral success of games like Gorilla Tag within Horizon Worlds, they might face challenges. Until they expand avatar customization beyond basic options and accessory choices, tapping into the cross-promotional magic that Japan’s VTubers so effectively wield may remain elusive.