Exploring the Effects of User Control on Social Engagement in Virtual Reality

A key aspect of user experience in virtual reality (VR) is navigational control. However, when multiple users interact in a social VR environment, it is important that navigational control is designed to support social engagement. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between levels of navigational control, diminishing from fully independent to completely passive, and their potential impact on social engagement in a social VR environment. We conducted qualitative interviews with 12 participants who viewed video recordings demonstrating control methods and social interactions in a prototype social VR application. Our results demonstrate the diverse attitudes people hold about how social engagement is impacted by different navigational control methods, and how this might be impacted by individual preferences and cultural factors. Based on these results, we contribute design considerations for supporting group cohesion, interpersonal and cultural norms, as well as discoverability in social VR systems to better support social engagement.