Sandbox VR Survey Shows Excitement Is Key When It Comes to Snagging a Date This Valentine’s Day

February 06, 2025 at 09:00 AM EST

One In Five People Say They’ve Said No To A Date Just Because The Activity Is Boring

Sandbox VR, the leader in virtual reality gaming, today shared findings from a recent survey about what people are looking for in their Valentine’s Day celebrations. The survey findings show that if you’re looking for love—or hoping to keep the spark alive—this Valentine’s Day, the activity you plan could be the difference between a “yes” and a “no.”

One in five people (20%) admit they have rejected a potential match simply because the proposed date activity sounded boring. On the flip side, a whopping 40% say they've accepted a date invitation purely because the activity sounded fun — with men being particularly swayed by an exciting proposal (43% of men vs. 36% of women).

Valentine’s Day is Making People Sweat it (Or Forget it)

Nearly one in four people experience anxiety about planning a fun date night
Men feel this pressure more acutely, reporting date-planning anxiety 118% more often than women
Women are 60% more likely to expect their partner to plan a thoughtful date
Men are almost 70% more likely than women to have forgotten to plan a Valentine's date entirely (27% vs. 16%)

Survey Says: How to Sweat The Details

For those feeling the pressure, the survey offers clear guidance:

Sweating might be the answer! Over half (52%) of Valentine's Day celebrators want to do some kind of activity, not just dinner. Nearly a third (31%) are looking for an active date and over 70% say they are looking for something interactive or unique.
One-third of people simply want to see that their partner put thought into planning.
People overwhelmingly (70%) ranked "make us laugh" as the most important quality of a date activity.

New Love vs. Long-Burning Flames

The importance of getting it right varies by relationship stage:

People who are dating are 80% more likely than married couples to rate Valentine's Day as extremely important (24.5% vs. 13%)
70% of couples together for 6 months to a year consider Valentine's Day important
That importance declines over time: only 48% of couples together 6-9 years rate it as important, dropping to 41% for relationships of 10+ years
However, long-term couples tend to spend more, with those together 10+ years being 125% more likely to spend $251-$500+ on their celebration

Whether you're asking someone out for the first time or planning a special night with your long-term love, the key to success is planning something active and unique. This Valentine's Day, forget the standard dinner reservation and invite your date to step into a new reality at Sandbox VR.

Methodology: Sandbox VR conducted this research using an online survey among 1,025 adults (age 18+) in the United States. Data was collected from December 17-18, 2024.

ABOUT SANDBOX VR

Sandbox VR is the world's premier destination for premium, location-based virtual reality games. The company has created the world’s most immersive full-body VR platform and boasts exclusive games, including original and branded experiences, such as Squid Game Virtuals, created in collaboration with Netflix. Now operating in 55 locations and attracting over 100k players monthly, Sandbox VR is rapidly growing its global footprint with thriving corporate-owned locations and a robust franchising program. The company has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies and is the 129th fastest growing company in America on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list. Sandbox VR is headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices in Hong Kong and Vancouver. The company’s latest round raised over $37 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners, and Craft. Individual investors include Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Kevin Durant and Will Smith.