One of the questions I get asked most often is whether iB Cricket actually feels realistic. To help answer it, I took a Meta Quest headset to the Kent County Cricket Club media day and let some of their professional players try it for the first time.
Who Tried It
Players from the Kent men’s squad, including Jack Leaning (now at Sussex), Harry Finch, Fred Klaassen, Matt Quinn, Grant Stewart, Tawanda Muyeye, and an appearance from England International cricketer Sam Billings, all had a go at scoring runs in iB Cricket.
What They Said About Realism
The strongest reaction was to the bowling speeds. Several players commented that the pace felt genuine — especially when facing faster bowlers. One noted that deliveries around 90 mph felt properly quick, and the overall speed and line were more realistic than they expected from a VR game.
Other observations included:
- Timing mattered. Mistimed shots were punished, just like in real cricket.
- The stadium atmosphere and crowd noise added to the immersion.
- It was harder than it looked. A few players were out early and immediately wanted another go.
- The experience was fun and engaging even for players who face high-quality bowling every week.
My Take
After watching professionals play it, the feedback confirmed what many regular players already feel: iB Cricket gets the core batting experience right. The ball comes at you with realistic pace, you have to play the line and length, and poor timing is punished. It is not a perfect simulation of every element of real cricket, but for a VR game it is the closest most people will get to standing at the crease.
If you are thinking about trying it yourself, the full setup process is covered in the Ultimate iB Cricket Setup Guide. For the bat I recommend with it, see the Best VR Cricket Bat for Meta Quest.