VR Cloud Gaming UX: Exploring the Impact of Network Quality on Emotion, Presence, Game Experience and Cybersickness

TL;DR

This study investigates how network quality, especially packet loss and delay, affects user experience, emotions, presence, and cybersickness in VR cloud gaming, revealing that packet loss significantly impacts user comfort and immersion.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on the differential effects of network degradation on VR cloud gaming, highlighting the importance of minimizing packet loss for better UX and suggesting genre-specific optimization strategies.

Findings

Packet loss impacts UX more than delay.

Packet loss increases cybersickness in Beat Saber.

Packet loss reduces presence in Cubism.

Abstract

This study explores the user experience (UX) of virtual reality (VR) cloud gaming under simulated network degradation conditions. Two contrasting games (Beat Saber, Cubism) were streamed via Meta Air Link to a Quest 3 device in a laboratory setup. Packet loss and delay were introduced into the streaming network using NetEm for WiFi traffic manipulation. In a within-subjects experiment, 16 participants played both games under three network conditions (Loss, Delay, Baseline), followed by post-game questionnaires assessing their emotions, perceived quality, game experience, sense of presence, and cybersickness. Friedman's test and Dunn's post-hoc test for pairwise comparisons revealed that packet loss had a greater impact on UX than delay across almost all evaluated aspects. Notably, packet loss in Beat Saber led to a significant increase in cybersickness, whereas in Cubism, players experienced a significant reduction in their sense of presence. Additionally, both games exhibited statistically significant variations between conditions in most game experience dimensions, perceived quality, and emotional responses. This study highlights the critical role of network stability in VR cloud gaming, particularly in minimizing packet loss. The different dynamics between the games suggest the possibility of genre-specific optimization and novel game design considerations for VR cloud games.