A virtual reality painting game has become the foundation for a social media success story, with Dutch creator HydraVR using Painting VR to produce videos that have collectively attracted more than 500 million views across social platforms.
Painting VR Becomes a Viral Creative Tool
When Belgian studio Oisoi developed Painting VR, the concept was straightforward: give players a virtual art studio where they can pick up a brush and create paintings inside a VR headset.
The developers did not initially expect the game to become the basis for a major social media channel. That changed when 22-year-old Dutch creator Hidde Kip, better known online as HydraVR, began using the game to create detailed painting videos.
Kip launched HydraVR in November 2024 while working a full-time job. Some of his videos can take as long as eight hours to complete, reflecting the amount of time he puts into recreating recognizable subjects in the virtual studio.
“I discovered Painting VR through a viral YouTube Short and was immediately hooked. I’d already been making VR content and loved experimenting with ideas that could take off, so combining painting with trending topics felt like a natural fit. When my first ‘Minecraft vs. Realism’ video took off, the response was incredible. Seeing the series resonate with so many people has been an amazing experience.”
Minecraft Painting Becomes an 81 Million-View Hit
Kip’s biggest success so far is a virtual painting of a Minecraft lava bucket, which has surpassed 81 million views on YouTube alone.
The video is part of his “Minecraft vs Realism” series, in which he recreates familiar objects from the popular game as detailed paintings.
His work has also covered subjects ranging from Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to Meccha Chameleon, one of the breakout games of 2026.
The appeal goes beyond the finished artwork. The videos feature the sound of virtual brush strokes and the gradual transformation of a blank canvas, creating a relaxing, almost ASMR-like viewing experience.
Oisoi Says Creator Took the Game in an Unexpected Direction
For Oisoi founder Wim Reygaert, the scale of HydraVR’s success demonstrates how players can find uses for a game that developers may not initially anticipate.
“We built Painting VR to let people create, but Hidde has taken it somewhere we never expected. Seeing 81 million views on a Minecraft lava bucket painted in our game is pretty wild.”
The broader HydraVR channel has now generated more than half a billion views across social media, turning a VR painting experience into a platform for highly shareable creative content.
Painting VR Available on Meta Quest and Steam VR
Painting VR is available for virtual reality players on Meta Quest and Steam VR. The game is designed as a digital artist’s studio, offering virtual canvases, paint, brushes and other tools.
Players can use spray cans, brushes, rollers, palette knives and markers. The game also includes a customizable drill equipped with a brush magnet.
A Virtual Studio Built for Experimentation
The game allows users to mix colors, select colors directly from artwork or reference images, and customize their studio layouts.
An integrated web browser can also be used to listen to music, watch tutorials or find visual inspiration while working.
Oisoi is also offering new batches of game codes through its promotional campaign for Painting VR and its other painting title.
Painting PC Expands the Series Beyond VR
Oisoi has also released Painting PC, a non-VR version designed around a more traditional gaming experience.
Rather than requiring a VR headset, Painting PC presents itself as a cozy creative career simulation in which players attempt to build a career as an artist.
Together, the two games offer different approaches to digital painting, while HydraVR’s success demonstrates how virtual art can also become compelling social media entertainment.
From a single headset and a blank virtual canvas to hundreds of millions of views, HydraVR’s rise highlights the growing overlap between gaming, digital art and creator-driven online video.
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