Virtual Holographic Girlfriends, For When Your Body Pillow Just Won’t Cut It

The world can be a pretty lonely place. It seems like there’s no place lonelier, however than Japan if you are a single man. On the whole, the country is going through a bit of a social crisis. The birth rate is cratering and more and more people are identifying as asexual and generally not interested in even a physical relationship. Sadly, that’s leaving a lot of people feeling despondent and like they don’t have anyone who cares for them. Enter Gatebox and their virtual “roommate.”

To call this thing a roommate is really misleading. If you watch the video, you can see that this little anime girl is set up as everything from your alarm clock to your emotional support system. It texts you and flirts with you throughout the day, and jumps up and down with excitement when you come home.

I’m sure that there are plenty of people who could look at this and pick it apart for the super stereotypical, fantasy role it takes on for users, but I think that’s not even really the point. We live in a society where people feel like they need this. yikes.

The Gatebox is now available for pre-order HERE. It will ship next December and will set you back around $2,500.