If there’s one sexual skill where you get to know, for sure, that you totally nailed it, it’s masturbating. It’s why sex with yourself can be so much fun. But self-love – just like pretty much everything else we do these days – is moving to cyberspace. Thanks to a new range of sex toys designed to pair with VR porn or online interactive content, you can now get off just like the sci-fi movies promised. But, while you may be a pro at touching yourself in the real world, doing it in the virtual one is a whole new ballgame (heh – get it?). If you’re ready to give cyber self-love a try (and our recent quiz on the topic suggests most of you are!), there are a few things you’ll need to know. Here’s a brief guide to masturbating in cyberspace.
Intense might be just what you’re looking for when it comes to porn, but keep in mind that interactive and VR porn take intense to a whole new level. “The erotic charge I got from VR content was unlike anything I’ve experienced,” Magnus Sullivan of Better Than the Hand wrote. “Coupled with the all-immersive aspect of wearing goggles, the images assume a dreamlike, completely captivating lure that somehow combines the etherial with the hyper-real."
Just ... be ready for something very different and much more engaging and real. You've been warned. Even if you aren’t super-secretive about your porn-viewing habits, most people don’t like being interrupted mid-wank. Remember that when you’re viewing interactive content, you’ll probably be wearing some type of VR headset. This means that you won’t be able to see your surroundings, and you may not be able to hear them either. In other words, if someone walks in on your fun, you’ll have no idea. Make sure you have a private place and the time to fully experience this type of content. It is NOT a good option for squeezing in a quickie before someone walks through the front door.
If you've ever felt like throwing a wonky laptop out the kitchen window (or ... is that just me?), you are probably well aware of some of the frustrations that can come with using or setting up a new device. Not that it isn’t totally worth it, but this isn’t a process you want to start when you’re raring to go! Download any apps you need, and test out toys and headsets well before playtime. That way when you do get going, it’ll be all about fun, rather than frustration. When it comes to interactive erotic content, there are two levels: there’s watching the content, and there’s pairing it with a sex toy that’ll get your private parts right into the show. There is an increasing number of products here, from app-compatible couples' toys, to vibrators and masturbators designed for the ultimate personal experience. Porn is something you watch. Interactive or VR porn is something you experience. That sounds totally tacky, but it’s true! While traditional erotic content leaves the viewer as a passive observer, VR content puts you right in the action, which means you can look around the room, watch the performers (or parts of performers!) that excite you the most and get different viewpoints on the action. Pretty cool, right?
"Oftentimes, porn viexwers' devices are a part of their viewing experience (you're conscious that you're watching porn), but with VR it's an immersive experience," says Suz, blogger at Red Hot Suz.
If you’re pairing all this with a compatible sex toy, it’ll do its thing in time with the action, making you feel like you’re the star of the show. The latest interactive sex toys are pretty high tech, but they don’t self-lubricate (yet!). Whether you’re using a vibrator, masturbator or couples’ toy, set yourself up for success with a good splash of a good-quality, water-based lube. You should also do all the other things that typically make for a good time for you. That might mean a comfortable position, a warm room, or whatever else floats your boat.
One thing it can be tough to wrap your head around when it comes to interactive content is that you’re in charge. And you aren’t just a participant either. Some apps allow you to be the director too, and can be paired with compatible toys.
That's about it. You should have all the tools you need to go forth and masturbate in cyberspace. May all your (cyber) fantasies be fulfilled!
