Experienced Video Game Players Interaction Preferences with Game Controllers and Haptic Gloves

Abstract

Haptic gloves have been shown to enhance user experience and learning in interactive virtual reality environments. By incorporating hand tracking and haptic feedback, these devices can improve user sensations with more realistic and natural interactions. Previous research highlights the benefits of haptic gloves in improving presence, engagement, usability, and performance. However, there is a lack of quantitative studies analyzing the behavior of experienced video game players in relation to their interactions with the elements of the virtual reality system and their preferred device to perform each of these interactions. This study examines how experienced video game players interact with objects in a virtual environment using haptic gloves compared to traditional VR controllers. A virtual reality experience featuring various tasks and interactive elements was developed to conduct the experiment. The participants, familiar with virtual reality technology, conducted interactions with both controllers and gloves. The results indicate that players generally prefer traditional controllers. However, haptic gloves are more effective for interactions that do not require high precision, such as pushing objects. Although users perceive gloves as innovative and engaging, they also find them uncomfortable.