Investigating player experience in virtual reality games via remote experimentation

Abstract

This research explores player experience of virtual reality (VR) games through two stages of study. In both stages, we employed the Player Experience Inventory (PXI), a validated tool designed to evaluate player experience. In Stage 1, player experience of VR games was investigated via an online survey with 100 participants. We found that Audio-Visual Appeal, Immersion, and Ease of Control contributed most to player experience in VR games. We found no relationship between player experience and age, time spent playing, VR experience, or VR headset. Stage 2 used remote experimentation to compare VR and non-VR games with 10 participants. We found that differences in player experience can be explained by the Immersion, Progress Feedback, and Curiosity constructs of the PXI.