Keywords: emerging media; empathy; immersion; virtual reality (VR) EN emerging media empathy immersion virtual reality (VR) 3 10 8 04/23/20 20200401 NES 200401 Hype cycles Many of us are "over" virtual reality (VR), even if it has yet to happen in the way we imagine it. What are the ethical implications of asking someone to put on a headset, especially as VR travels across national and cultural borders, and is put to work toward social and political ends far beyond the imagination of current VR developers? Michael LaRocco's article follows with a close reading of prominent VR developer guidelines from Oculus, pointing to consumer VR's endlessly deferred promise of full spatial immersion. Emerging media, empathy, immersion, virtual reality (VR). [Extracted from the article]