Switching from VR can be incredibly challenging, especially to newer players.
The fact that you really have to aim with your own arms in itself is enough to greatly increase the difficulty.
What's more trickier movement schemes can and the disorienting belt can make basic tasks harder.
So what works in VR? What will get you to the Payday screen on a Death Wish heist?
After many hours in VR, I have compiled a short list of tips and tricks for the best loadouts and heists to guaruntee your success in VR.

A lot of these reccomendations take into considerations things that don't apply in normal payday, such as how difficult bag moving is, how difficult it is to aim, and more.

That being said, let's get into the guide.

Picking a good weapon for VR is harder than it may seem at first, and can take a little testing to see if it's really viable.

So let's address the elephant in the room: aiming.
Aiming is hard, and if you use a slow firing weapon like the thanatos or mosconi, a miss can be catastrophic to your chances of success.
So here's the first suggestion: don't use slow firing weapons in VR.

If you've used a scope in VR, you know how garbage they are. Slowly lining up the sights with your shaky hands, just for one kill, is terrible.
If you can attatch a laster to the gun and hipfire, it works, but usually you have to be pretty good at aiming.
At least when you're starting out, it's a good idea to avoid any scoped weapons.

So what's the opposite of a slow firing weapon? A fast firing weapon! Does this means that LMGs are king?
Not so fast - LMGs are very clunky and hard to use in VR, especially when aiming at far away targets.
Their subpar accuracy when not using a bipod leads them to end up wasting ammo unless your targets are extremely close to you.
This, combined with their only decent ammo pickup, can make LMGs more of a backup weapon than an actual killing machine.
So here's the third suggestion: accurate, ammo efficient guns are key.

So what types of guns meet these requirments?
A lot, actually.
Assault Rifles
SMGs
Pistols (Akimbo and normal)
Faster firing shotguns like the loco or IZHMA

If you're playing in VR, you need all the help you can get. Especially when trying to not die.
If you're so much as thinking of attempting to try a harder difficulty, I would strongly reccomend to go all out with your survivability.
Sure, you can spend a couple skill points to make your weapons better. You don't need to use the old "china puff + crossbow" meta build, but there are a couple things you should consider when creating a build for the higher difficulties.

First: learn how to dodge.
You don't need to go two piece + rogue every time, but from what I've seen dodge seems to give much more survivability, regardless of difficulty.

Second: Doctor bags are key.
While swan song is... weird in VR, to say the least, doctor bags still work just fine!
Always make sure AT LEAST one person brings doctor bags on anything higher than mayhem. If nobody can because you joined a pub and didn't bring any (shame on you!) make sure you buy the asset for it in preplanning.
If you got an escape and can't buy anything, or are in a similar scenario, leave ASAP!

Third: Practice quickly deploying things.
You may think to yourself: "what? I can deploy things! Just reach down to my belt and grab, then press trigger right?
While this may sound simple, in the heat of battle it can be very hard unless behind cover with no cops. On higher difficulties, you may not get that sort of chance.
Practice throwing down a deployable as fast as you can, with both hands. Sometimes deploying with your right hand can be easier since it's closer to the button.
If you're not sure whether or not you should use a deployable, ask yourself: will I need this in my next firefight? Not just a small 3 enemies, but actual, intense, fight for survival. If the answer is yes, take it.

Fourth: Use grenades smartly.
If you see a large group of enemies, ask yourself: do I need to kill them/get past them? Are they blocking an objective? A deployable I need to get to? If the answer is yes, use a grenade. I would personally reccomend concussion grenades for large groups in tigher cooridors (like panic room) but really it's up to you. I would not reccomend throwables such as playing cards, throwing knives/axes, etc.

Fifth: Learn how to shoot through shields.
Okay, this doesn't really increase survivability that much, but it feels really badass and actually works.
Go right up to a shield, in front of them, and stare at their shield.
Raise your arm with the gun and push it through the shield, right where their head is.
Make sure you don't push it too far, or you'll shoot behind them.
Pull the trigger, and BAM! shield down.

While most players would assume they know which heists are "easy" and which are "difficult," on higher difficulties and while in VR, a lot of the rules change.

For example, you would assume that jewelry store, one of the most basic heists in the game, one which is most players first heists, would be "easy," right?
You would be wrong. Moving so many bags in an open area with little to no cover in VR is a nightmare, and especially with armor.

So, which heists are actually easy, and which are harder than they seem?
Well for starters, you should look for heists with lots of cover, and little bag moving. Bag moving is an absolute nightmare in VR, it can be incredibly disorienting having to look down at your belt every single time, as well as holding it in your hand restricting access to grenades/akimbos.

You should also try to avoid heists where vehicles play a major role, as vehicles in VR are still kind of clunky.

That being said, taking risks every now and again is fine as long as you get a good payday at the end of it. Maybe try a more challenging heists like Birth of Sky, but maybe avoid Golden Grin or the afformentioned Jewelry store.

Counterfeit (Good cover, no bags if you don't print, only trouble is objectives.)
Undercover (Great cover, lots of cops though. Pack a fast firing gun!)
Nightclub (Not the most grand heist but great for dipping your toes in the water.)
Biker heist (Day 1 works fine but day 2 can be a real hassle. Try it if you want a challenge.)

Goat simulator (still bad in VR, shocking.)
Jewelry store + Diamond store (too much bag moving!)
Transport heists
Brooklyn 10-10 (no cover!)

Thanks for taking the time to read my guide.
When I got into VR I had to figure out most of this stuff on my own, so all of this is just my personal experience.
If you disagree or find a way that works better, by all means use it!
This guide isn't really set in stone, so feel free to experiment with weapons, builds, etc.

If this guide helped you, I would really appreciate if you left a comment just saying "thanks" or something. I read them all and they make me feel like this guide was worth it!
(If you don't know what to write just say "aw thenks my frend" or some sh!t idk)