We must have very different thoughts about the timescale on which settlement of other planets is likely to happen. To have a complete civilization that is not dependent on earth, means many tens of millions of people living elsewhere - you just can't have a self-sustaining space-faring civilization without a base that large. I'd guess this is at least several thousands of years out, and thus nearly completely irrelevant because our civilization won't last that long on its present course; we really have to solve the energy and carbon crisis because we can't run from it.

VR may actually be part of that solution, though in a very dystopic fashion - reducing energy consumption of individuals could maybe be more tolerable if everyone is jacked in.