Exergaming: The Impact of Virtual Reality on Cognitive Performance and Player Experience
Felix Born, Linda Graf, Maic Masuch · 2021 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG) · 2021
Exergames can increase cognitive performance compared to sedentary games and the same non-gamified exercise. Whether this advantage can be further enhanced by the high immersion and arousal level VR systems offer remains unclear. Therefore, we developed an exergame that can be played in VR or in front of a TV screen with identical gameplay in both versions. In a study with 32 participants, we collected data on cognitive performance, arousal, presence, motivation, and exertion. Our results show no difference in cognitive performance and arousal between the conditions. However, the VR version significantly increased players' presence and motivation while significantly reducing perceived exertion. Our results help to understand in which aspects VR can have a significant impact on exergames.