The efficacy of virtual reality (VR) in industrial design brainstorming is evaluated by comparing emotional and interactive metrics between VR and traditional physical environments in this study. With the evolution of VR technology and remote work due to COVID-19, VR offers new opportunities for design collaboration, breaking geographical barriers, and providing immersive experiences. Adopting VR and digital technologies, such as Meta Quest headsets and Meta Horizon Workrooms, brainstorming sessions are facilitated. Eight graduate students from the National United University, Taiwan participated in in VR and physical brainstorming activities. Using a paired samples t-test, key indicators such as emotional valence, arousal, immersion, technology acceptance, social interaction, and preference are analyzed. VR can be used for physical brainstorming in emotional valence, arousal, immersion, technology acceptance, social interaction, and preference, with minimal differences in usability. Significant differences are observed in emotional valence, arousal, and preference, indicating a higher effectiveness of VR. The results of this study highlight the advantages and disadvantages of VR meetings. VR eliminates geographical barriers, offers rich interactive features, and reduces costs. Challenges such as a high learning curve, limitations in body language, potential health issues, and cybersecurity risks also are observed. Further optimization of VR technology and operational design need to be explored to improve interactivity and user experience. The potential of VR as an effective tool for industrial design brainstorming allows for the application of VR to enhance creativity and collaboration of design teams.