By firsthand reports of AVP users, it is.. apparently it feels like a real presence in your space, like hanging out in person.. and their recollections of the conversations weren’t of calls but of visits. The main downside being that there are so few other friend/family users, because it’s prohibitively expensive, niche, and geeky, and those that do these VR calls still do them infrequently because it’s a hassle to break out the device if you don’t use it regularly, and uncomfortable to wear for too long, let alone they typically need to coordinate calls in advance.

Still, if I were to have a long-distance relationship with a tolerant partner, or one of us traveled frequently or for long periods, I would be tempted to consider these so we could watch a show or movie and hang out despite the distance.