Virtual reality (VR) has become an important resource in light research and an ultimate tool for participatory approaches in sustainable urban planning. This article reviews the research design of VR light research focusing on the profile of participants. A search for peer-reviewed articles using a systematic literature review in Scopus (2000-2023) resulted in 56 articles that show that a quarter of the studies integrate the participants' characteristics into the results but the nature of the samples may put into doubt the external validity of the results. The article discusses the implications of these findings for research and practice.