Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for simulating natural environments and provides health benefits for individuals with limited access to outdoor spaces. While VR natural experiences can induce relaxation and promote mental well-being, it remains unclear whether they fully replicate the restorative effects of real nature. According to attention restoration theory (ART), visual attention plays a critical role in the restorative effects of nature. Thus, in this study, we directly compared visual attention and psychophysiological responses to forest environments in two contexts, namely, onsite and VR. The findings indicate that both real and VR forests promote stress recovery. However, real forests attract greater visual attention, better enhance the appreciation of the scene, and exhibit stronger restorative potential than VR forests do. These results highlight the advantages of direct nature exposure while providing new insights into decision-making in restorative VR natural environment design.
Sun et al. (2026) studied this question.