Playing VR Horror in an Apartment Without Annoying Neighbours

Horror makes noise: yelps, gasps, stomping, the odd shout at a skull. If you live in a flat or share walls and floors, playing VR horror in an apartment means thinking about the people on the other side of them. The good news is that a few considerate habits go a long way. This guide is general advice, written around HAUNTED: Are You Alone?, a game where you swing, duck and turn in your real room and where sudden loud sounds are part of the design.

Know where the noise comes from

Four sources:

1. You. Screams, laughter and talking to the game.
2. Your movement. Stomping, jumping, or sudden steps on a hard floor.
3. The game audio. From speakers or leaking headphones.
4. Collisions. Hitting furniture or walls with a controller.

Handle each one separately.

Quieten your movement

• Choose the right room. A room above someone's living room is worse than one above a hallway. If you can, play on the ground floor or against an outside wall.
• Use a rug or mat. Soft surfaces reduce stomping noise, but keep the edges flat so they cannot trip you.
• Wear soft shoes or socks with grip. Bare feet on tiles are surprisingly loud.
• Stand in one place. The game asks you to swing, duck and turn, and you need not travel much.

Control the game's sound

HAUNTED has spatial audio and sudden loud sounds. Use headphones if your headset supports them, which keeps the volume inside your ears rather than the room. Set the level at a calm moment and expect spikes. See our headphones versus speakers guide for more.

Manage your own reactions

You will probably be louder than you expect. A few tricks:

• Play at reasonable hours, not late at night.
• Warn flatmates so they do not call the police over a scream.
• Consider telling close neighbours that you play horror games on occasion.
• Take breaks when you feel yourself getting loud.

You cannot predict every yelp, but a heads-up avoids misunderstandings.

Avoid collisions

Hitting a wall with a controller is both a safety issue and a noise issue. The terms say to stay inside your boundary and keep away from walls and furniture. In a small apartment, that means keeping the boundary on and choosing a position away from walls. Use wrist straps so a controller cannot fly. See our guide on avoiding furniture during jump scares.

Choose your timing

Daytime and early evening are usually fine in most buildings. Late-night sessions are riskier, both for noise and for your own sleep. Check any house rules about quiet hours. Playing when neighbours are at work is the least disruptive, if your schedule allows.

Small-space setup

The developer asks for a clear play area, and gives no exact size. In a small apartment, push furniture to the sides and mark it in Space Setup. See our room size article. A tidy small space is safer and quieter than a cluttered large one.

If a neighbour complains

Be polite, apologise, and offer to adjust times or volume. A short chat solves most things. If your building has specific rules, follow them. Do not argue; you want to keep playing in peace.

Mixed reality and privacy at home

The game uses your room layout from Space Setup in real time. The privacy policy says nothing leaves the headset and the game sends nothing to the developer's servers. There is no microphone use, so the game is not listening to your yells or to neighbours' noises.

FAQ

Is HAUNTED noisy?

The game has sudden loud sounds and jump scares, and you may yell and move around. Use headphones and a sensible volume.

Will neighbours hear me swinging?

Stomping and collisions can carry. Play on a soft surface, stay in one place and use the boundary.

Does the game record sound from my home?

No. The privacy policy says it does not use your microphone.

What time of day is best?

Daytime or early evening is usually considerate. Late nights are riskier for noise.

Check game details on the HAUNTED page.