What is this genre all about? A virtual reality is a place where the character interacts with a computer (or some other device)-simulated environment, be it real or imagined. The condition for a virtual reality to exist is the existence of real world for the character. In some cases, a virtual reality where characters can get harmed physically is depicted.
We present you the list of Virtual Reality anime you should watch right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Virtual Reality anime you should watch right now. [2026 List]
- 20. Sword Art Online
- 19. Overlord
- 18. Shangri-La Frontier
- 17. Sword Art Online II
- 16. Shangri-La Frontier Season 2
- 15. Overlord II
- 14. Overlord IV
- 13. Ghost in the Shell
- 12. Serial Experiments Lain
- 11. Overlord III
- 10. Sword Art Online: Alicization
- 9. Overlord: Sei Oukoku-hen
- 8. Log Horizon
- 7. No Game No Life: Zero
- 6. Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of the Starless Night
- 5. Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters
- 4. Sword Art Online Alicization War of Underworld (2nd cour)
- 3. Log Horizon 2nd Season
- 2. Quanzhi Gaoshou 3
- 1. Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation
20. Sword Art Online
In the year 2022, virtual reality has progressed by leaps and bounds, and a massive online role-playing game called Sword Art Online (SAO) is launched. With the aid of "NerveGear" technology, players can control their avatars within the game using nothing but their own thoughts.
Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed "Kirito," is among the lucky few enthusiasts who get their hands on the first shipment of the game. He logs in to find himself, with ten-thousand others, in the scenic and elaborate world of Aincrad, one full of fantastic medieval weapons and gruesome monsters. However, in a cruel turn of events, the players soon realize they cannot log out; the game's creator has trapped them in his new world until they complete all one hundred levels of the game.
In order to escape Aincrad, Kirito will now have to interact and cooperate with his fellow players. Some are allies, while others are foes, like Asuna Yuuki, who commands the leading group attempting to escape from the ruthless game. To make matters worse, Sword Art Online is not all fun and games: if they die in Aincrad, they die in real life. Kirito must adapt to his new reality, fight for his survival, and hopefully break free from his virtual hell.
Sword Art Online has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン, S.A.O, SAO
19. Overlord
The final hour of the popular virtual reality game Yggdrasil has come. However, Momonga, a powerful wizard and master of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown, decides to spend his last few moments in the game as the servers begin to shut down. To his surprise, despite the clock having struck midnight, Momonga is still fully conscious as his character and, moreover, the non-player characters appear to have developed personalities of their own!
Confronted with this abnormal situation, Momonga commands his loyal servants to help him investigate and take control of this new world, with the hopes of figuring out what has caused this development and if there may be others in the same predicament.
Overlord has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロード, Overlord
18. Shangri-La Frontier
"When was the last time I played a game that wasn't crap?" This is a world in the near future where games that use display screens are classified as retro. Anything that can't keep up with state-of-the-art VR technology is called a "crap game," and you see a large number of crap games coming out. Those who devote their lives to clearing these games are called "crap-game hunters," and Rakuro Hizutome is one of them. The game he's chosen to tackle next is Shangri-La Frontier, a "god-tier game" that has a total of thirty million players. Online friends... An expansive world... Encounters with rivals... These are changing Rakuro and all the other players' fates! The best game adventure tale by the strongest "crap game" player begins now!
Shangri-La Frontier has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: シャングリラ・フロンティア, Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su
17. Sword Art Online II
A year after escaping Sword Art Online, Kazuto Kirigaya has been settling back into the real world. However, his peace is short-lived as a new incident occurs in a game called Gun Gale Online, where a player by the name of Death Gun appears to be killing people in the real world by shooting them in-game. Approached by officials to assist in investigating the murders, Kazuto assumes his persona of Kirito once again and logs into Gun Gale Online, intent on stopping the killer.
Once inside, Kirito meets Sinon, a highly skilled sniper afflicted by a traumatic past. She is soon dragged in his chase after Death Gun, and together they enter the Bullet of Bullets, a tournament where their target is sure to appear. Uncertain of Death Gun's real powers, Kirito and Sinon race to stop him before he has the chance to claim another life. Not everything goes smoothly, however, as scars from the past impede their progress. In a high-stakes game where the next victim could easily be one of them, Kirito puts his life on the line in the virtual world once more.
Sword Art Online II has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン II, Phantom Bullet, SAO II, Sword Art Online 2, SAO 2
16. Shangri-La Frontier Season 2
The second season of Shangri-La Frontier.
Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su 2nd Season, シャングリラ・フロンティア～クソゲーハンター、神ゲーに挑まんとす～ 2nd season, Shangri-La Frontier: Crappy Game Hunter Challenges God-Tier Game, Shanfro, シャングリラ・フロンティア 2nd season
15. Overlord II
Second season of Overlord.
Overlord II has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロードⅡ, Overlord II
14. Overlord IV
The fourth season of Overlord.
Overlord IV has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロードⅣ, Overlord 4
13. Ghost in the Shell
2029: A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together with her fellow agents from Section 9, Kusanagi embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity.
Ghost in the Shell has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: GHOST IN THE SHELL（攻殻機動隊）, Koukaku Kidoutai
12. Serial Experiments Lain
Lain Iwakura, an awkward and introverted fourteen-year-old, is one of the many girls from her school to receive a disturbing email from her classmate Chisa Yomoda—the very same Chisa who recently committed suicide. Lain has neither the desire nor the experience to handle even basic technology; yet, when the technophobe opens the email, it leads her straight into the Wired, a virtual world of communication networks similar to what we know as the internet. Lain's life is turned upside down as she begins to encounter cryptic mysteries one after another. Strange men called the Men in Black begin to appear wherever she goes, asking her questions and somehow knowing more about her than even she herself knows. With the boundaries between reality and cyberspace rapidly blurring, Lain is plunged into more surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception are concepts that take on new meanings.
Written by Chiaki J. Konaka, whose other works include Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological avant-garde mystery series that follows Lain as she makes crucial choices that will affect both the real world and the Wired. In closing one world and opening another, only Lain will realize the significance of their presence.
Serial Experiments Lain has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: シリアルエクスペリメンツレイン, Serial Experiments Lain
11. Overlord III
Third season of Overlord.
Overlord III has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロードⅢ, Overlord III
10. Sword Art Online: Alicization
"Where...am I...?" Before he knows it, Kirito has made a full-dive into an epic, fantasy-like virtual world. With only a murky recollection of what happened right before he logged in, he starts to wander around, searching for clues.
He comes upon an enormous, pitch dark tree (the Gigas Cedar), where he encounters a boy. "My name is Eugeo. Nice to meet you, Kirito." Although he is supposedly a resident of the virtual world – an NPC – the boy shows the same array of emotions as any human being.
As Kirito bonds with Eugeo, he continues to search for a way to log out of this world. Meanwhile, he remembers a certain memory deep down within him. He remembers racing through the mountains with Eugeo as a child... A memory that he should not have in the first place.
And in this memory, he sees someone other than Eugeo, a young blond girl. Her name is Alice. And it is a name that must never be forgotten...
Sword Art Online: Alicization has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン アリシゼーション, Sword Art Online III, SAO Alicization
9. Overlord: Sei Oukoku-hen
Theatrical follow-up to Overlord IV. The film will cover the "Holy Kingdom" arc.
After twelve years of playing his favorite MMORPG game, Momonga logs in for the last time only to find himself transported into its world playing it indefinitely. Throughout his adventures, his avatar ascends to the title of Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown.
Once prosperous but now on the brink of ruin, The Sacred Kingdom enjoyed years of peace after the construction of an enormous wall protecting them from neighboring invasions. But, one day this comes to an end when the Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth arrives with an army of villainous demi-humans.
Fearing an invasion of their lands, the neighboring territory of the Slane Theocracy is forced to beg their enemies at the Sorcerer Kingdom for help. Heeding the call, Momonga, now known as the Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown, rallies the Sorcerer Kingdom and its undead army to join the fight alongside the Sacred Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy in hopes of defeating the Demon Emperor.
Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 劇場版 オーバーロード 聖王国編, Overlord Movie, Overlord: Holy Kingdom Arc
8. Log Horizon
In the blink of an eye, thirty thousand bewildered Japanese gamers are whisked from their everyday lives into the world of the popular MMORPG, Elder Tale, after the game's latest update—unable to log out. Among them is the socially awkward college student Shiroe, whose confusion and shock lasts only a moment as, a veteran of the game, he immediately sets out to explore the limits of his new reality.
Shiroe must learn to live in this new world, leading others and negotiating with the NPC "natives" in order to bring stability to the virtual city of Akihabara. He is joined by his unfortunate friend Naotsugu, having logged in for the first time in years only to find himself trapped, and Akatsuki, a petite but fierce assassin who labels Shiroe as her master. A tale of fantasy, adventure, and politics, Log Horizon explores the elements of gaming through the eyes of a master strategist who attempts to make the best of a puzzling situation.
Log Horizon has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ログ・ホライズン, Log Horizon
7. No Game No Life: Zero
Six thousand years before Sora and Shiro were even a blink in the history of Disboard, war consumed the land, tearing apart the heavens, destroying stars, and even threatening to wipe out the human race. Amid the chaos and destruction, a young man named Riku leads humanity toward the tomorrow his heart believed in. One day, in the ruins of an Elf city, he meets Shuvi, a female exiled "Ex-machina" android who asks him to teach her what it means to have a human heart.
No Game No Life: Zero has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: ノーゲーム・ノーライフ ゼロ, No Game No Life Movie, No Game, No Life Zero, NGNL Zero, NGNL the Movie
6. Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of the Starless Night
Return to the death game where it all began—Sword Art Online. In this new Aincrad Arc by original creator Reki Kawahara, the story is seen through Asuna’s eyes. What at first seems like a dream come true quickly becomes a nightmare when newbie gamer Asuna Yuuki learns the only way to escape the virtual world of Aincrad is to beat all 100 levels—but “Game Over” means you die in the real world.
Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of the Starless Night has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Sword Art Online: Progressive Movie - Hoshi Naki Yoru no Aria, ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ, Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of the Starless Night
5. Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters
Legend says that the enigmatic Millennium Puzzle will grant one wish to whoever deciphers its ancient secrets. Upon solving it, high school student Yuugi Mutou unleashes "another Yuugi," a peculiar presence contained inside. Now, whenever he is faced with a dilemma, this mysterious alter ego makes an appearance and aids him in his troubles.
Wishing to unravel the mystery behind this strange spirit, Yuugi and his companions find themselves competing with several opponents in "Duel Monsters," a challenging card game used by people seeking to steal the Millennium Puzzle in a desperate attempt to harness the great power within. As the questions pile on, it is not long before they figure out that there is more than pride on the line in these duels.
Yu-Gi-Oh! has finished airing and it has 224 Episodes. It is also Known as: 遊☆戯☆王 デュエルモンスターズ, Yugioh, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Yugioh: Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Yuu Gi Ou!
4. Sword Art Online Alicization War of Underworld (2nd cour)
The final load test... The war between the Human Empire and the Dark Territory has engulfed Underworld entirely. The battle has shifted course with the Dark Territory army led by Gabriel, who seeks to capture Alice, the Priestess of Light, against Asuna and the Human Empire forces fighting to save Underworld.
As Kirito's consciousness remains buried in a deep sleep, Gabriel, standing in as the Dark God Vecta, has recruited thousands of American players to log in to Underworld to annihilate the Human Empire forces. Meanwhile, Asuna, Sinon, and Leafa have joined the battle utilizing three super-accounts of the deities of the Underworld. As the Goddess of Creation Stacia Asuna fights alongside the Human Empire forces to take on the American players in a vicious combat. Sinon, who has gained the super-account for the Sun Goddess Solus, is in pursuit of Gabriel, who has abducted Alice, while Leafa arrives to Underworld with the super-account Earth Goddess Terraria.
But that is not all...
The impassioned speech by Lisbeth has convinced many ALO players to join the fight with the Human Empire despite the risks. With this great war, not only Underworld's continued existence, but the bottom-up artificial intelligence, the ultimate AI, and even the future of mankind is at stake.
Though he has yet to awaken, only one man holds the fate of this world: the Black Swordsman.
Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld - Part 2 has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン アリシゼーション War of Underworld 最終章(2ndクール), Sword Art Online: Alicization 3rd Season, Sword Art Online III 3rd Season, SAO Alicization 3rd Season, Sword Art Online 3 3rd Season, SAO 3 3rd Season, SAO III 3rd Season
3. Log Horizon 2nd Season
Veteran gamer Shiroe and other players have been trapped in the world of the online game Elder Tales for six months. The once chaotic city of Akibara has regained its everyday hustle and bustle following the formation of the self-governing organization Round Table Meeting. The earthlings, who are originally from the game world, have gained the trust of Shiroe by waging a defensive war against the Goblins in Zantleaf Region. This has led Princess Rayneshia of the Cowen family, the highest-ranking Earthling Aristocrats, to live in Akibara.
It's almost winter and the Adventurers are thinking about what they're going to do and what their goals are in this other world. Will they remain in Akibara or go to the city of the West? Or will they travel to the land of the North or another faraway country? The opinions of the Adventurers begin to diverge. What adventures await the members of the Shiroe team in this second series of Log Horizon?
Log Horizon 2 has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ログ・ホライズン 第2シリーズ, Log Horizon Second Season, Log Horizon Dai 2 Series, ログ・ホライズン 第2シリーズ
2. Quanzhi Gaoshou 3
The third season of Quanzhi Gaoshou.
The Kings Avatar Season 3 has finished airing and it has 17 Episodes. It is also Known as: The King's Avatar S3
1. Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation
After years of fruitless war between the four realms of Gamindustri (Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee and Leanbox) over Share energy, the source of their strength based on how much their people have faith in their goddesses, the four CPUs that rule over them have finally signed a friendship treaty. The treaty bans any attempt at claiming Share energy through military force, in hopes of bringing peace and prosperity to their worlds. Yet, a month after the treaty, Neptune, the CPU Goddess of Planeptune, spends her time goofing off and playing games rather than doing her job, leaving her land's Shares plummeting.
Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation follows Neptune and her friends' attempts at raising Shares, while dealing with an external threat that could spell the end of both the Goddesses and Gamindustri itself...
Hyperdimension Neptunia has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 超次元ゲイム ネプテューヌ THE ANIMATION, Kami Jigen Game Neptune V, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory
