How enterprises can improve business efficiency with VR training

Enterprises are facing growing expectations to invest in learning and development. On average, organizations spend around $1,420 per employee each year on training.¹ At the same time, future employees are demanding more—67% of Gen Z say they want to work for companies that prioritize career growth.² The message is clear: in order to succeed, enterprises need cost-effective training solutions that are efficient and engaging.

Immersive training is providing a vital solution. By introducing virtual reality (VR) into workplace learning, organizations are uncovering new ways to make training more efficient and cost-effective. Meta Quest and Meta Horizon managed solutions are allowing people to go beyond traditional approaches—learning by doing in safe, simulated environments. Whether that’s practicing complex procedures, handling machinery or preparing for high-pressure scenarios.

The impact is already measurable. A 2025 Total Economic Impact™ study conducted by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by Meta, found that enterprise organizations using Meta Quest headsets achieved a 219% return on investment.³ Over three years, this generated $6.1 million in benefits and a $4.2 million net present value, with the investment paying for itself in less than six months.⁴ This shows how VR delivers measurable enterprise cost reduction alongside efficiency gains.

But it’s much more than pure financial impact. The same research showed that immersive training can reduce training times for task workers by as much as 75% and for business users by up to 50%.⁵ Together, these outcomes point to a model of learning that is faster, more flexible and better aligned with the needs of a modern workforce.

How is immersive training improving business efficiency for manufacturing enterprises?

The manufacturing sector is a clear example of how immersive training can enhance day-to-day operations. From improving safety on the factory floor to increasing the precision of product assembly, VR is helping manufacturing organizations onboard employees faster and improve the quality of work.

• Risk-free skill development and safety: New hires can practice handling heavy machinery or executing complex, high-risk procedures without any actual danger of injury or damage to costly equipment.
• Minimizes production downtime: Maintenance teams can rehearse complex repairs or intricate troubleshooting steps in a virtual environment. Practicing these procedures minimizes errors and reduces the amount of time production lines need to be stopped during a real maintenance event.
• Enhances quality and precision: Quality inspectors can train to spot subtle defects and inconsistencies in VR simulations before applying that skill in high-volume production environments, leading to immediate improvements in product quality upon starting their job.
• Accelerates onboarding and proficiency: Immersive learning allows organizations to get new hires up to speed quickly. According to a 2025 study by Forrester Consulting, nine out of ten manufacturing leaders report employees adapt to VR learning in less than an hour.⁶

How Lufthansa and Mortenson are using immersive training to improve efficiency

When Lufthansa introduced Allegris, its new long-haul seating experience, it faced a challenge. The company needed to train crew and staff, and showcase the product to partners, without the cost and complexity of shipping physical seats worldwide.

Working with MSM.digital, Lufthansa created a VR application that brought the new product experience to life virtually. By sending Meta Quest headsets to staff and partners, the company made it possible to explore the new seating environment at a fraction of the cost of physical replicas. The impact was clear: a tenfold increase in audience engagement and an 80% reduction in costs compared with physical exhibits.

The benefits extend beyond aviation. Mortenson, a leading data center builder, often faced issues with software, safety and accessibility once designs were finalized—leading to costly change orders. To address this, the company built a digital twin of its data centers and distributed Meta Quest headsets to more than 50 stakeholders across four states and ten disciplines. Stakeholders could walk through the design in VR and provide feedback before construction began.

The impact was immediate. During virtual inspections, stakeholders identified more than 600 potential issues. Fixing just one of them saved an estimated $26,500 in construction costs. As Ryan Zoldan, Integrated Construction Manager, Mortenson, explained, “using Resolve on Meta Quest was a pretty eye-opening experience of what we can use VR for in our coordination process.”

What are the key VR training applications for manufacturing?

• ForgeFX: Builds custom VR training simulators for manufacturing, so workers can practice complex tasks on digital versions of real equipment.
• Vision Portal: Helps companies manage, stream and track VR training, making it easy to deploy and monitor immersive learning at scale.

Discover more VR training apps for manufacturers.

How is immersive training improving business efficiency for healthcare enterprises?

Healthcare is another sector where immersive training is showing clear benefits. VR allows clinicians to practice complex procedures in a controlled, risk-free environment. This improves both skill and confidence before they treat real patients.

• Improves learning and competency: VR helps staff learn to safely operate medical equipment, prepare for critical situations and strengthen teamwork through realistic, simulated clinical environments.
• Enhances employee experience: 79% of leaders anticipate a positive effect on the employee experience, according to the Forrester study.⁷ VR makes training more engaging, accessible and comprehensive. This leads to higher staff confidence and a more supportive learning environment for team members.
• Reduces risk and increases safety: Surgeons can rehearse high-risk operations step-by-step, while nurses can practice patient handling and emergency response scenarios without putting anyone at risk. 76% of leaders agree VR helps staff train for dangerous situations in a low-risk environment—and 3 out of 4 expect it to reduce overall risk.⁸

How Pfizer is using immersive training to improve efficiency

When Pfizer needed to quickly train hundreds of new operators for its COVID-19 vaccine production line, access to the live facility was limited. Pfizer created a digital twin of the factory and developed a suite of VR training applications.

Using Meta Quest devices with haptics and hand tracking, new operators could practice essential skills, including aseptic technique, in a realistic but safe environment. More than 500 devices were deployed globally, using the management and security features of Meta Horizon managed solutions to rapidly scale consistent training across multiple locations.

“Having no wires to deal with makes the experience less intimidating and more natural for the user, but also much easier to set up,” says Nicholas Hockley, Manager of Smart Factory Technology, Pfizer. “This is important when you are looking to scale up.”

The results were significant. VR-based aseptic training took 40–60% less time than traditional methods and saved up to $23,000 for every pair of trainee and trainer. What’s more, 90% of employees said they'd rather learn the content through VR than a video call – with 87% describing the experience as fun and enjoyable.

What are the key VR training applications for healthcare?

• Osso VR: Provides a scalable VR platform for surgical training. It helps medical professionals practice procedures in an immersive environment, improving performance and patient outcomes.
• Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS): Transforms healthcare education with AI-powered VR scenarios. The platform standardizes training and ensures clinical competency, which is trusted by leading organizations worldwide.
• VRpatients: Offers a powerful, no-code authoring platform for healthcare educators. It lets them create and share realistic VR and AI simulations, providing critical training without real-life consequences.

Discover more VR training apps for healthcare.

How is immersive training improving business efficiency for education enterprises?

Classrooms are no longer confined to physical walls. Immersive technology is allowing students to interact with learning in ways that go beyond traditional methods. Giving them opportunities to experiment and practice skills in realistic but controlled environments.

• Creates powerful learning environments: Teachers can visualize abstract concepts, assess student understanding in real time and create interactive experiences that adapt to individual learning needs.
• Accelerates learning efficiency: These tools make learning more efficient by being more hands-on. For example, a 20-minute virtual field trip to the Colosseum can allow students to absorb a week's worth of material in a fraction of the time – compared to reading a textbook and looking at pictures.
• Enhances Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): VR has been shown to effectively enhance SEL. A 2025 study of 297 seventh grade students in China found that collaborative tasks in VR outperformed traditional approaches in fostering engagement with others. This also created a stronger sense of group cohesion and enriching social experiences.⁹

How Inspired Education Group is using immersive training to improve efficiency

With 120 schools across 83 countries, Inspired Education Group aimed to strengthen connections between teachers and students. The organization deployed more than 2,000 Meta Quest devices and integrated immersive technology into the curriculum.

The results were notable. 94% of students reported learning better in VR, with a 25% boost in confidence and a 15% improvement in multiple-choice test performance. This is because VR makes learning more efficient by allowing students to experience concepts instead of just reading about them.

As Joana Simas, Global Head of EdTech Implementation, Inspired Education Group, says, “I taught a lesson on World War One trenches in VR. Students were able to more deeply understand the environment in a way that they couldn't from a textbook.”

What are the key VR applications for education?

• Inspirit: An XR education platform that provides a content marketplace and live classroom analytics. It helps educators turn underused VR headsets into engaging, standards-aligned learning tools.
• Interplay Learning: Offers online and VR training, but for the skilled trades. Students can get hands-on practice in a virtual lab, which prepares them for careers in fields like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work.
• Zoe Immersive: A no-code XR platform that empowers educators to build their own interactive 3D lessons, simulations and virtual worlds. This makes it easy to create and deploy immersive learning experiences.

Discover more VR training apps for education.

The rundown: 5 benefits of immersive training for enterprises

VR training is a powerful tool for enterprises looking for cost-effective training solutions that improve business efficiency.. Here are five key takeaways:

1. Accelerated learning: VR training reduces the time it takes for employees to become proficient, leading to faster onboarding and increased productivity.
2. Significant cost savings: By reducing the need for physical travel, in-person training and material resources, VR training delivers substantial financial benefits.
3. Enhanced retention and recall: Immersive experiences engage more senses than traditional training, which leads to higher knowledge retention and a greater ability to recall and apply new skills.
4. Improved safety: Custom VR training lets employees practice dangerous procedures and high-risk scenarios in a safe virtual environment, while also reducing the need for travel and expensive in-person sessions.
5. Data-driven insights: VR platforms can track user performance, providing valuable data to measure the effectiveness of training programs and identify areas for improvement.

How can I get started with immersive training?

Bringing immersive training into your organization’s learning and development mix is more straightforward than it might seem. The right approach depends on your goals, resources and the skills you want employees to develop.

Meta Quest and Meta Horizon managed solutions provide the hardware, software and support needed to deploy VR training at scale. Together, these tools make it easy to manage devices, track usage and ensure security—so you can focus on learning outcomes rather than logistics.

For training, you can start with ready-made apps that offer off-the-shelf training for a wide range of topics. These pre-built modules allow you to implement immersive training with minimal effort. Some platforms, such as Talespin, can even convert your existing training materials into interactive, engaging VR experiences.

For a more tailored approach, you may choose to partner with a software developer to create bespoke content. While this process can take longer, custom programs give you complete control over topics, teaching methods and ways to measure impact.

As Stephen Fromkin of Talespin explains, “Where VR comes in is to really provide learners and individuals at large, dispersed organizations the opportunity to focus and really fail in a safe place.”

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Keep reading about working in mixed reality (MR):

What is the best VR headset for work?
How VR is revolutionizing team-building
6 innovations shaping the future of work

Sources

1. Training Magazine, 2023 Training Industry Report, Nov 2023 2. ‘Generation Z Workplace Statistics,’ by Forage, Feb 2023
2. Training Magazine, 2023 Training Industry Report, Nov 2023
3. The Total Economic Impact™️ (TEI) methodology used by Forrester Consulting is an internationally recognized and respected methodology, used to calculate and articulate the value of an investment in a product, service or portfolio – backed by the rigor and objectivity of a trusted third party.
4. “The Total Economic Impact of Meta Quest”, The Total Economic Impact™️ Report, Forrester Consulting commissioned by Meta, June 2025. Results are for a composite organization based on interviewed customers.
5. “The Total Economic Impact of Meta Quest”, The Total Economic Impact™️Report, Forrester Consulting commissioned by Meta, June 2025
6. “Manufacturing Spotlight: Enhancing Learning And Development With Mixed Reality,” commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Meta, April 2025. Base: 108 Decision-makers involved in learning and development technology decisions in manufacturing organizations in North America and Europe.
7. “Manufacturing Spotlight: Enhancing Learning And Development With Mixed Reality,” commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Meta, April 2025.Base: 108 decision-makers involved in learning and development technology decisions in healthcare and life sciences organizations in North America and Europe
8. “Manufacturing Spotlight: Enhancing Learning And Development With Mixed Reality,” commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Meta, April 2025.Base: 108 decision-makers involved in learning and development technology decisions in healthcare and life sciences organizations in North America and Europe
9. Qinna Feng, Gege Li, Yanbei Chen, Feng Zhang, Wenhao Li, Heng Luo, Can virtual reality improve social-emotional learning among adolescents? An experimental study, Computers & Education, Volume 240, 2026, 105462, ISSN 0360-1315, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105462.