Comparative Reality: Measuring User Experience and Emotion in Immersive Virtual Environments

Abstract

In this work we present the results of a large-scale comparative user-experience study measuring the user-experience and emotions of a test-group exposed to five immersive virtual reality environments: HMD, large immersive display, mobile VR, AR (HoloLens), and tablet PC. We critically analyze current Mixed Reality (MR) design guidelines typically used in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to support developers in creating engaging and accessible content. Through a mixed method approach - ranging from questionnaires, measuring mental effort, biofeedback, and interviews - we obtained new insights into participant's attitudes, interaction patterns, behavior, emotional state, and mental effort. Overall, we redefined existing design and usability guidelines to enable developers to create more intuitive and immersive content based on our insights. A UX design approach is pivotal for the enhancement of immersive applications.