Due to the level of immersion and differences in the user interface, there can be a very large discrepancy in the user experience between users in immersive systems and non-immersive systems when playing games together. To investigate the impact of the cross-reality experience, which refers to the asymmetric use of eXtended Reality, we aim to understand the different affordances and experiences in an asymmetric setup, where one participant uses a desktop setup with a mouse and keyboard, and one uses a virtual reality (VR) headset and controller in two different task modes, Competition or Collaboration. In our research, a pair of participants played a game in real-time, using either the VR setup or the desktop setup. In Competition mode, the two participants were asked to defeat each other. In Collaboration mode, the pair of participants played as a team and were asked to defeat a pair of AI enemies. Our results show the VR group reported a better gaming experience and perceptual responses compared to the desktop group regardless of game mode, but that the desktop group showed superior gaming performance compared to the VR group in Competition mode.

This paper investigates the influence of floor-vibration tactile feedback on immersed users. Under symmetric and asymmetric tactile sensory cue conditions, we explore how multi-user Virtual Reality (VR) experiences are impacted by these cues in terms of illusion and coherence. Based on the reported positive impact of tactile cues in solo VR experiences, we posit that if context-matched perceptual tactile feedback is exchanged between users, they will report a significantly enhanced VR experience compared to not receiving the sensory stimuli, even within the same immersive VR experience. With our custom-built, computer-controlled vibration floor, we implemented a cannonball shooting game for two physically-separated players. In the VR game, the two players shoot cannonballs to destroy their opponent’s protective wall and cannon, while the programmed floor platform generates vertical vibrations depending on the experimental condition. We used a mixed-factorial design with four conditions for each pair of participants: 1) both A and B had vibration, and 2) neither A nor B had vibration (the Symmetric group), or 3) A had vibration, but B did not, and 4) B had vibration, but A did not (the Asymmetric group). We collected subjective and objective data for variables previously shown to be related to levels of illusion, coherence, and usability, including Presence, Co-Presence, Social Presence, Plausibility Illusion, Engagement, Embodiment, Coherence, Gaming Performance, and Overall Preference. A total of 39 pairs of participants were involved in the study. We found statistically significant differences for the vibration conditions on Co-Presence, Social Presence, Engagement, and Coherence, and for the symmetric conditions on the Plausibility Illusion and Coherence, but only with trivial or small effect sizes. The results indicate that vibration provided to a pair of game players in immersive VR can significantly enhance the VR experience, but sensory symmetry does not guarantee improved gaming performance.

This work addresses cybersickness, a major barrier to successful long-exposure immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences since user discomfort frequently leads to prematurely ending such experiences. Starting from sensory conflict theory, we posit that if a vibrating floor delivers vestibular stimuli that minimally match the vibration characteristics of a scenario, the size of the conflict between the visual and vestibular senses will be reduced and, thus, the incidence and/or severity of cybersickness will also be reduced. We integrated a custom-built, computer-controlled vibrating floor in our VR system. To evaluate the system, we implemented a realistic off-road vehicle driving simulator in which participants rode multiple laps as passengers on an off-road course. We programmed the floor to generate vertical vibrations similar to those experienced in real off-road vehicle travel. The scenario and driving conditions were designed to be cybersickness-inducing for users in both the Vibration and No-vibration conditions. We collected subjective and objective data for variables previously shown to be related to levels of cybersickness or presence. These included presence and simulator sickness questionnaires (SSQ), self-rated discomfort levels, and the physiological signals of heart rate, galvanic skin response (GSR), and pupil size. Comparing data between participants in the Vibration group (N=11) to the No-Vibration group (N=11), we found that Delta-SSQ Oculomotor response and the GSR physiological signal, both known to be positively correlated with cybersickness, were significantly lower (with large effect sizes) for the Vibration group. Other variables differed between groups in the same direction, but with trivial or small effect sizes. The results indicate that the floor vibration significantly reduced some measures of cybersickness.