Teleportation is one of the most common locomotion techniques in virtual reality, yet its perceptual properties remain underexplored. While redirected walking research has shown that users’ movements can be subtly manipulated without detection, similar imperceptible adjustments for teleportation have not been systematically investigated. This study examines the thresholds at which teleportation displacements become noticeable to users. We conducted a repeated-measures experiment in which participants’ selected teleport destinations were altered in both direction (forwards, backwards) and at different ranges (small, large). Detection thresholds for these positional adjustments were estimated using a psychophysical staircase method with a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) task.Results show that teleport destinations can be shifted without detection, with larger tolerances for backward adjustments and across longer teleport ranges. These findings establish baseline perceptual limits for redirected teleportation and highlight its potential as a design technique. Applications include supporting interpersonal distance management in social VR, guiding players toward objectives in games, and assisting novice users with navigation. By identifying the limits of imperceptible teleportation adjustments, this work extends redirection principles beyond walking to teleportation and opens new opportunities for adaptive and socially aware VR locomotion systems.

As social VR grows in popularity, understanding how to optimise interactions becomes increasingly important. Interpersonal distance-the physical space people maintain between each other-is a key aspect of user experience. Previous work in psychology has shown that breaches of personal space cause stress and discomfort. Thus, effectively managing this distance is crucial in social VR, where social interactions are frequent. Teleportation, a commonly used locomotion method in these environments, involves distinct cognitive processes and requires users to rely on their ability to estimate distance. Despite its widespread use, the effect of teleportation on proximity remains unexplored. To investigate this, we measured the interpersonal distance of 70 participants during interactions with embodied conversational agents, comparing teleportation to natural walking. Our findings revealed that participants maintained closer proximity from the agents during teleportation. Female participants kept greater distances from the agents than male participants, and natural walking was associated with higher agency and body ownership, though co-presence remained unchanged. We propose that differences in spatial perception and spatial cognitive load contribute to reduced interpersonal distance with teleportation. These findings emphasise that proximity should be a key consideration when selecting locomotion methods in social VR, highlighting the need for further research on how locomotion impacts spatial perception and social dynamics in virtual environments.