Cybersickness during VR gaming undermines game enjoyment: A mediation model

• Published in: Displays Vol. 59; pp. 35 - 43
• Main Author: Yildirim, Caglar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-09-2019
• Subjects: Cybersickness; Virtual reality; VR game enjoyment; VR gaming; VR gaming; Cybersickness; Virtual reality; VR game enjoyment
• ISSN: 0141-9382; 1872-7387
• DOI: 10.1016/j.displa.2019.07.002

•VR gaming invokes more severe cybersickness symptoms than does desktop gaming.•Cybersickness is a prevalent human factors issue in VR gaming.•Cybersickness mediates the effect of display on game enjoyment.•Cybersickness during VR Gaming undermines the enjoyment of gaming experience.
Recent advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have ushered in a new era of VR gaming. While VR gaming experience represents a burgeoning area of research within human-computer interaction circles, the role of cybersickness, physiological repercussions of VR exposure to users characterized by a multitude of symptoms, such as nausea, lightheadedness, and dizziness, in the effect of VR gaming on game enjoyment remains understudied. In two experiments, the current study proposed and tested a causal mediation model in which the effect of VR gaming on game enjoyment was mediated by the level of cybersickness experienced during the gameplay. Results from both experiments supported the proposed model and showed that increased cybersickness levels during VR gaming led to decreases in game enjoyment, indicating that cybersickness experienced during VR gaming undermines the enjoyment of the gaming experience. Results also revealed that compared to traditional desktop gaming, VR gaming invoked greater levels of cybersickness, but VR gaming did not lead to greater levels of game enjoyment. When the effect of cybersickness on game enjoyment was statistically removed, however, VR gaming was found to be more enjoyable. The current experiments provide preliminary evidence that cybersickness may hinder the enjoyment of VR gaming experience.