When pondering corporate brand involvement in VR, Meta often comes to mind as a prominent player. They’ve had exclusive collaborations with Wendy’s for a social experience in Horizon Worlds and KFC for an unusual escape room experience. This time, it’s McDonald’s Japan stepping onto the VR stage by launching its own immersive space in VRChat, highlighting just how much the social VR platform has gained traction in Japan.
Visiting this world is possible from now until June 17th. Though not vast, the McDonald’s Japan virtual venue offers a comfy single room where you can enjoy digital fries and snap photos in a number of themed spots. Picture yourself climbing into a gigantic virtual fry container, posing with cardboard cutouts of various McDonald’s mascots, or marveling at promotional text amid flying fries.
At first glance, it might seem like just another promotional effort in Japan, albeit in a virtual setting. However, beneath the surface, it taps into the latest tactics to lure Japan’s Gen-Z to their golden arches, blending the nation’s love for virtual streamers—VTubers—and their affinity for VRChat.
As part of this initiative, McDonald’s has centered the design around its latest marketing push in Japan, timed with the release of the annual ‘Tirori Mix’ animated music video collaboration. This series, which launched in 2022, merges beloved J-pop idol vocals with a vibrant short film remixing the “Tirori” sound you hear in McDonald’s Japan when your order is up. This year’s edition stars Ado, YOASOBI, and Hoshimachi Suisei, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
Now you might wonder, why choose VRChat over Horizon Worlds? Though VRChat doesn’t disclose specific user data, reports show that Japanese users dominate visits to its website, making up more than a third of the traffic, and there’s a good reason for this preference.
Take a casual stroll through VRChat, and you’ll find a myriad of Japan-centric worlds, ranging from detailed recreations of Kyoto’s historic streets to serene community spots. A big draw is VRChat’s support for user-generated avatars, a hit feature that lets users bring their own custom creations or purchase them, providing continuity across platforms. This feature has undoubtedly boosted VRChat’s appeal, especially among Japan’s anime-themed VTubers.
VTubing itself has exploded into a thriving industry within Japan. Major agencies like Hololive, Nijisanji, and VShojo have tapped into the country’s idol culture, grooming a new wave of idols who don fully articulated VR personas. For instance, Hoshimachi Suisei, who stars in Tirori Mix 2025, is a leading Japanese VTuber with over 2 million YouTube subscribers. She’s not only influential in the online realm but has also graced live concerts, TV shows, and even the music charts in Japan.
Meanwhile, Meta is striving to build consistent engagement in Horizon Worlds. Unfortunately, this platform’s limited avatar customization and closed ecosystem present challenges. In an attempt to drive more user activity, Meta announced a $50 million creator fund to encourage new and enhanced content creation within Horizon Worlds.
In the short term, Meta might be chasing after the likes of a Gorilla Tag phenomenon in Horizon Worlds. However, without embracing the diverse avatar customization that VTuber success in Japan exemplifies, making a significant breakthrough remains an uphill battle.
