Visuo-vestibular Congruency Impacts on Player Experiences in Virtual Reality

Exposure to Virtual Reality (VR) is typically multisensory, incorporating sensory information from several modalities. In this context, the congruency between cross-modal feedback plays a crucial role in enhancing user experience and minimising potential discomfort. Whilst some studies have investigated the visuo-vestibular relationship in VR exposure, the exploration of congruency has often been limited in scope. In this paper, we present early work exploring the role of visuo-vestibular congruency on virtual-reality experiences. This investigation is carried out through a user-based study, evaluating human factors and how they are impacted by congruency conditions. Our initial results highlight some interesting insights, with visually-congruent conditions heightening perceived sickness and presence levels. Furthermore, motion simulation appears to be a useful tool for cybersickness mitigation in older VR users.