Exploring an Immersive User Interface in Virtual Reality Storytelling

Abstract

Virtual reality provides a highly immersive experience as the player’s actions interact with the virtual world in real time, and feedback is immediately reflected. We explored a device that could enhance immersion by inducing a natural interaction between the player and the virtual world through VR storytelling. In this study, we mainly concentrated on utilizing affordance in the diegetic UI, which constitutes the virtual world, to increase immersion by inducing natural interaction for the player. To use affordance in VR storytelling, we classified physical affordance, cognitive affordance, sensory affordance, and functional affordance as roles that support diegetic UI. We suggest cognitive affordance and physical affordance to recognize and execute the need for interaction necessary to progress the story. We also suggest sensory affordance and functional affordance to detect the target smoothly and help the player’s intentional sequence of actions from a functional point of view. Finally, we suggest that the player’s immersion can be improved by supporting affordances so that the story can progress through the diegetic UI and natural interaction with the player. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.