Exploring Players' User Experience in a High-Embodied Virtual Reality Game

In the virtual reality (VR) field, embodiment is a concept related to the degree that a player can naturally control an avatar in a virtual world. Prior studies demonstrated that when the effects of VR on players' cognition are evaluated, both the level of immersion and embodiment should be considered. However, few studies have explored the value of the embodiment dimension in assessing the effect of VR on players' user experience. This study aims to fill the gap and explore the characteristics of players' user experience in a high-embodied VR game. Sixty-seven gamers were quasi-randomly assigned to either desktop or VR groups and played the same first-person shooter (FPS) game for 10 minute per person after a short training. The VR-version FPS game afforded participants the capability of gestures and physical movement like being in a real battlefield. Participants' in-game biometric data and post-game questionnaire data were collected and then analyzed. This study's results showed that the characteristics of players' user experience in a high-embodied VR game condition can be summarized as achieving a significantly higher level of emotional arousal, more positive experience and attitude towards the video game than a traditional desktop condition. All the evidence demonstrated that the embodiment dimension is a critical factor that designers should consider when designing for effective games.