All Shook Up: The Impact of Floor Vibration in Symmetric and Asymmetric Immersive Multi-user VR Gaming Experiences

This paper investigates the influence of floor-vibration tactile feedback on immersed users. Under symmetric and asymmetric tactile sensory cue conditions, we explore how multi-user Virtual Reality (VR) experiences are impacted by these cues in terms of illusion and coherence. Based on the reported positive impact of tactile cues in solo VR experiences, we posit that if context-matched perceptual tactile feedback is exchanged between users, they will report a significantly enhanced VR experience compared to not receiving the sensory stimuli, even within the same immersive VR experience. With our custom-built, computer-controlled vibration floor, we implemented a cannonball shooting game for two physically-separated players. In the VR game, the two players shoot cannonballs to destroy their opponent’s protective wall and cannon, while the programmed floor platform generates vertical vibrations depending on the experimental condition. We used a mixed-factorial design with four conditions for each pair of participants: 1) both A and B had vibration, and 2) neither A nor B had vibration (the Symmetric group), or 3) A had vibration, but B did not, and 4) B had vibration, but A did not (the Asymmetric group). We collected subjective and objective data for variables previously shown to be related to levels of illusion, coherence, and usability, including Presence, Co-Presence, Social Presence, Plausibility Illusion, Engagement, Embodiment, Coherence, Gaming Performance, and Overall Preference. A total of 39 pairs of participants were involved in the study. We found statistically significant differences for the vibration conditions on Co-Presence, Social Presence, Engagement, and Coherence, and for the symmetric conditions on the Plausibility Illusion and Coherence, but only with trivial or small effect sizes. The results indicate that vibration provided to a pair of game players in immersive VR can significantly enhance the VR experience, but sensory symmetry does not guarantee improved gaming performance.