Will Haven be the next-gen VR solution to alleviating stress and anxiety?

All of the best VR headsets, such as the Quest 3 for example, can do something pretty amazing: make you feel as if you’re somewhere entirely different. And you know what? Sometimes, a bit of change in our typical scenery and vibe is just what the doctor ordered.

I mean, it can’t all be high-octane action PC VR gaming or productivity, right?

As such, there is a dedicated group of VR enthusiasts, who are in it not for entertainment, but for health and fitness. And it’s no wonder why: VR can help you achieve a lot, so long as you’re equipped with the right tools.

And by tools, I mean that you’ve gotten the right apps. It’s no secret that one of XR’s biggest hurdles is app variety. And every single time that I see some sort of unique concept about a VR app, I’m happy for that extra bit of variety it adds to the industry.

And Haven is a great example of just that.



Haven, much like the namesake suggests, is a VR wellness app that’s essentially a safe space for you to get assistance with mental blocks and challenges. And hey: that’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all been there and it’s important to have options for getting out.

Haven isn’t exactly a singular experience or app, but rather a platform, which offers a distraction-free virtual environment. Once there, you can join courses and experience with the ultimate aim of becoming more healthy in one way or another.

Here’s some examples on what you can expect to learn:

• Stress management
• Anxiety relief
• Self-love
• Compassion
• How to improve your performance

Haven is attempting to remedy the rising rates of people with mental health issues. Claire Barnett, CCO, says that Haven’s approach is based on unspecified research, indicating that VR is a very effective means to reducing anxiety.

But beyond its wonderful and hopeful goal, Haven has something else up its sleeve: a rather strong team. Gautam Murgai is the company’s co-founder and CEO and he’s got a ton of experience with PokerStars VR, for example. Alejandro Simón is acting CTO and he’s previously spent time with Unity, PlayStation, EA, Sega and NaturalMotion. Then we also have Usman Ali, CSO, who’s managed to get support and funding for this project from other companies.

So, thus far we’ve got an admirable aspiration and an impressive roster. What’s next? Well, getting Haven on the Quest platform, namely for the Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest Pro. If you’re interested to learn about when that will happen, you can join the mailing list here.