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With the development of immersive technologies, virtual reality is gradually being incorporated into museum and heritage mediation systems. While lessons have been learned from other incursions of digital technology into museums, these devices do raise questions about the notion of presence that they evoke. This articulates with a dynamic relating to the question of the emotions of visitors to the exhibitions, that have been explored over the last twenty years or so. Through the study of three systems implemented in major museum and heritage institutions (Louvre, Louvre-Lens, Grotte Chauvet), the article proposes reflection on the negotiation between the different actors involved in these systems, and the conflicting emotional and mediation imperatives involved.