In 2016, virtual reality and augmented reality went mainstream after decades of development. These tools offer new ways to explore our universe across scales and times and are increasingly seen as integral to the future of communications. This session will explore the technology and psychology and look at the potential of VR and AR for global sustainability research relating to climate, Earth system science, urbanisation and land use change. The session space will draw on experience and knowledge gained from a series of Vritual Reality workshops (hackathons) which took place in 2015 and 2016 to explore VR and AR with Earth system scientists.