The primary objective is to explore how regular Virtual Reality usage affects students’ perceptions of Virtual Reality as a leisure tool, social interactions, and physical activity levels. The study adopted an explanatory cross-sectional survey design, the research involved 658 university students selected through a stratified random sampling technique, ensuring a balanced representation of gender and diversity in academic majors. The instrument employed in this study was a structured questionnaire consisting of two parts: demographic information and three core factors about Virtual Reality’s impact on leisure. Before administration, the questionnaire underwent thorough validation for validity and reliability. Descriptive statistical techniques and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were utilised to analyse the data, ensuring comprehensive reliability and accuracy of the findings. The study’s analysis revealed three key findings: Firstly, regular Virtual Reality usage in leisure significantly enhances university students’ positive perceptions of VR as a leisure tool. Secondly, it considerably alters their social interaction patterns, enhancing virtual connectivity and impacting real-world social engagements. Lastly, Virtual Reality use has a dual impact on physical activity levels, encouraging active engagement in some scenarios while potentially fostering sedentary behaviours. These findings collectively paint a comprehensive picture of VR’s multifaceted influence in leisure contexts among university students. Based on these main findings, the study offers theoretical and practical implications. Limitations were identified, and recommendations for further research were also suggested.
