Who pays if I break something while using a VR headset?
In short
Who pays if I break something while using a VR headset? For other people's things and injured guests, your personal liability insurance, about EUR 40 to 120 a year in Germany. It does not pay for your own TV or for things belonging to people in your household. Contents insurance does not cover your own accidents either. Only electronics insurance protects the VR headset itself, which costs from about EUR 550.
For damage with a VR headset, personal liability insurance matters most. The headset itself is only protected by device insurance.
Example
Typical range
VR headset, entry-level model at launch
about EUR 550 to 700
VR headset, top model
about EUR 3,499 to 3,999
Personal liability for a single person
about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Personal liability for a family
about EUR 60 to 180 a year
Device insurance for your own device
about 6 to 20 percent of the purchase price a year
Guide values, October 2026, from published examples.
The device insurance figure is based on phone insurance.
The TV price in the worked example is a guide value from broker practice.
Worked example
VR evening at friends' house
Playing with a borrowed VR headset, a guest hits the hosts' TV, worth EUR 1,000. Then the headset slips out of his hand.
Hosts' TV
the guest's personal liability insurance
Borrowed VR headset
personal liability only if borrowed items are included
Same damage to the guest's own TV at home
no insurance pays
Deductible, if agreed
EUR 0 to 250
The guest is well covered for the hosts' TV. For the borrowed headset it depends on his policy.
Other people's things and guests: liability insurance pays
With a VR headset on, you cannot see the room around you. If you hit a friend's TV with your arm or knock over a guest, you are liable under section 823 BGB if you acted negligently. Your personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) covers this.
Starting a game with big arm movements in a small living room without setting up the play area is an example of negligence. Personal liability insurance also defends you against unjustified claims if you did nothing wrong.
What happened with the VR headset
Who usually pays
Hit a friend's TV at his home
your personal liability insurance
Hit a guest on the head while playing
your personal liability insurance
Your own TV destroyed
nobody, except electronics insurance
Parents' TV in the same household
nobody, excluded in liability insurance
Wall or door of a rented flat damaged
personal liability with damage to rented property
Dropped a borrowed VR headset
only if your policy includes borrowed items
Your own things: neither liability nor contents insurance
Liability insurance only pays for damage to others. If you smash your own TV with the VR headset, that is not a liability claim. Contents insurance (Hausrat) does not help either, because it pays for fire, burglary, water or storm, not for your own accidents.
The same applies to things belonging to relatives who live in your household or are covered by your policy. Claims between them are excluded in the model terms.
When children play with the VR headset
Under section 828 BGB, children under seven are not liable for damage they cause. Parents are only liable if they breached their duty of supervision. Many family policies still pay voluntarily for damage caused by young children, usually up to a limit.
For older children it depends on their maturity. Check the manufacturer's age recommendation for the VR headset, it is an important benchmark for the duty of supervision.
Insuring the VR headset itself
Entry-level headsets cost about EUR 550 to 700 at launch in Germany, top models around EUR 3,500. If you drop your own VR headset, only electronics or device insurance pays. Depending on the policy it costs about 6 to 20 percent of the purchase price a year.
For a cheap headset that rarely pays off. For expensive models it can make sense, especially if children play too. Look at the deductible and whether screen damage is included.
Borrowed and rented VR headsets
If you borrow a VR headset from friends, damage to the headset itself is excluded in many older liability policies. Newer policies include borrowed items up to a limit. For rented headsets, for example in a VR arcade, the rental terms apply.
When you do not need extra cover
If you have personal liability insurance that includes rented property and borrowed items and your VR headset was cheap, you usually need nothing more. A clear play area without a glass table or lamps within arm's reach matters more.
Advice on liability and electronics
Norman Nammert works as an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) and can check whether your policies for liability and contents insurance cover damage with a VR headset, including borrowed devices and rented property. The commission is paid by the insurer, so the advice is free for you.
Step by step
Set up the play area in the VR headset menu before playing.
Move glass, lamps and the TV out of arm's reach.
Check your liability policy for borrowed items and rented property.
After damage, take photos and write down what happened.
Report the claim to your liability insurer promptly and do not promise payment.
Checklist
Personal liability insurance in place
Borrowed items included
Damage to rented property included
Damage by children under 7 included
Receipt for the VR headset kept
Play area set up
Common mistakes
Assuming contents insurance pays for your own TV
Promising a friend payment before the liability insurer has decided
Playing with a VR headset in a cramped room
Buying expensive device insurance for a cheap headset
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does contents insurance pay if I destroy my TV with a VR headset?
No.
Contents insurance pays for fire, burglary, water and storm, not for your own accidents.
Does liability insurance pay if I injure a guest?
Yes, if you acted negligently, your personal liability insurance pays treatment,
compensation and other costs.
What if my partner hits the TV?
If your partner lives in your household or is covered by your policy,
liability insurance does not pay.
Claims between you are excluded.
Is my child liable for breaking something with the VR headset?
Not under seven.
You are only liable if you breached your duty of supervision.
Many family policies still pay up to a limit.
Is insurance for the VR headset worth it?
More likely for top models, rarely for cheap headsets.
Compare the annual premium with the purchase price.
Who pays for damage in a VR arcade?
Your personal liability insurance for damage to others.
