Impact of Using Active Locomotion Interfaces for Gameplay: A Study on Exertion Levels and Presence

Active video games have proven to be an effective means of coupling gaming and exercise, while also providing a more enjoyable experience. In this article, we investigate two elliptical walker-based exertion systems for active video game locomotion. The impacts on heart rate, respiratory rate, and sense of presence were investigated as a result of using different locomotion systems by employing 20 subjects. Four configurations of elliptical walker-based exertion systems were compared with two commonly used sedentary game controllers. The results showed that participants' mean heart and respiratory rate were significantly increased as a result of using the active locomotion systems. Seventy percent of participants stated they would likely use the exertion systems at home, with a mean estimated weekly use time of 4.2 h. It is expected that the ongoing use of the exertion systems would exceed the physical activity guidelines recommended by the World Health Organisation. While participants subjectively did not feel more present, they were more involved with the virtual experience when using the exertion systems compared to the sedentary configurations. It was found that familiarity with the controls, and weekly time spent playing video games both had a significant impact on player exertion and subjective presence.