Live Captions in Virtual Reality (VR)

TL;DR

This study explores user preferences for live captioning styles in VR, finding that customization and different behaviors impact comfort and usability for deaf or hard of hearing users.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into user preferences for three VR captioning styles, informing guidelines for effective live caption implementation in VR.

Findings

Majority felt comfortable using VR captions

Headlocked and lag captions rated more user-friendly

Preferences vary depending on caption usage

Abstract

Few VR applications and games implement captioning of speech and audio cues, which either inhibits or prevents access of their application by deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) users, new language learners, and other caption users. Additionally, little to no guidelines exist on how to implement live captioning on VR headsets and how it may differ from traditional television captioning. To help fill the void of information behind user preferences of different VR captioning styles, we conducted a study with eight DHH participants to test three caption movement behaviors (headlocked, lag, and appear) while watching live-captioned, single-speaker presentations in VR. Participants answered a series of Likert scale and open-ended questions about their experience. Participant preferences were split, but the majority of participants reported feeling comfortable with using live captions in VR and enjoyed the experience. When participants ranked the caption behaviors, there was almost an equal divide between the three types tested. IPQ results indicated each behavior had similar immersion ratings, however participants found headlocked and lag captions more user-friendly than appear captions. We suggest that participants may vary in caption preference depending on how they use captions, and that providing opportunities for caption customization is best.