The effect of interaction fidelity on stress relief and enjoyment for university students

Abstract

<span lang="EN-US">This study investigated the possible effect of varying levels of interaction fidelity (IF) in virtual reality (VR) games on several beneficial outcomes, including stress relief, calories burned, spatial presence, and enjoyment. Players were asked to play one of three VR games with varying IF levels. Results indicated that interaction fidelity was not a significant factor in these outcomes except for enjoyment; the high IF game was enjoyed more than the low IF game. However, playing any game did have a significant, if small, impact overall on both stress relief and calories burned. The results are encouraging due to the indication that spending time in VR and metaverse applications may have small but inherent health benefits.</span>