10.25384/SAGE.C.4424258.V1
Pallavicini, Federica
Federica
Pallavicini
Pepe, Alessandro
Alessandro
Pepe
Minissi, Maria Eleonora
Maria Eleonora
Minissi
Gaming in Virtual Reality: What Changes in Terms of Usability, Emotional Response and Sense of Presence Compared to Non-Immersive Video Games?
Figshare
2019
Collection
150310 Organisation and Management Theory
FOS: Economics and business
Science Policy
2019-03-06
2019-03-06
2019
10.1177/1046878119831420
10.25384/sage.c.4424258
CC BY 4.0
<i>Background.</i><b>Virtual reality</b> can provide innovative gaming experiences for present and future game players. However, scientific knowledge is still limited about differences between <b>player’s experience</b> in <b>video games</b> played in <b>immersive</b> modalities and games played in <b>non-immersive modalities</b> (i.e., on a desktop display).<i>Materials and method.</i> Smash Hit was played by 24 young adults in immersive (virtual reality) and non-immersive (desktop) condition. Self-report questionnaires (VAS-A, VAS-HP, VAS-SP, SUS, SUS-II) and psycho-physiological measures (heart rate and skin conductance) were used to assess usability, emotional response and the reported sense of presence.<i>Results.</i> No statistical differences emerged between the immersive and the non-immersive condition regarding usability and performance scores. The general linear model for repeated measures conducted on VAS-A, VAS-HP, VAS-SP scores for the virtual reality condition supported the idea that playing in the immersive display modality was associated with higher self-reported happiness and surprise; analysis on SUS-II revealed that the perceived sense of presence was higher in the virtual reality condition<i>Discussion and conclusion.</i> The proposed study provides evidence that (a) playing a video game in virtual reality was not more difficult than playing through a desktop display; (b) players showed a more intense emotional response, as assessed by self-report questionnaires and with psycho-physiological indexes (heart rate and skin conductance), after playing in virtual reality versus after playing through the desktop display; (c) the perceived sense of presence was found to be greater in virtual reality as opposed to the non-immersive condition.