Content-, system-, and hardware-related effects on the experience of flow in VR gaming

ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to conceptualize and measure the flow experience of Virtual Reality (VR) gaming as well as to develop and empirically test a research model that explains flow experience and subsequent usage behavior. This model highlights the effects of content-, system-, and hardware-related factors on flow, as well as the relevance of interaction effects. Based on a large survey of 1,784 German VR users, the structural equation model showed that gaming motives, perceived content quality, content range, system quality and barriers to VR usage significantly influence the experience of flow in VR gaming and thus behavioral intention and usage. Age, gamer identification, and VR technology experience had interaction effects with several of these relationships. This study contributes a multidimensional conception of flow and a better understanding of its antecedents and consequences. It yields practical implications by highlighting the need not only to differentiate between self-identified gamers and non-gamers but also to consider previous VR experience and the impact of real-world circumstances in the development and marketing of VR games.