Game Changers: Designing and Measuring Dynamic Feedback To Help Users Self-Regulate in a VR Pointing Game

2026-06-25

AI Summary

This study addresses the lack of systematic understanding regarding how dynamic feedback, mediated through distinct performance metrics, influences users’ behavior and perception in virtual reality (VR) pointing tasks. For the first time, it quantitatively compares dynamic feedback driven by completion time, path straightness, and peak velocity, examining their effects on user self-regulation when delivered at three temporal stages: continuously, upon movement termination, and at task completion. Combining VR technology with a rigorous human–computer interaction experimental design, the research demonstrates that dynamic feedback generally enhances both pointing straightness and speed, yet reveals substantial individual differences in user responses. These findings offer empirical evidence and theoretical grounding for designing effective feedback mechanisms in VR applications, particularly in gaming contexts.

Abstract

The way games dynamically convey information through feedback is critical to players' ability to perform, learn, and improve. However, it is poorly understood how performance metrics impact player performance and perception in core game tasks like pointing or steering. With a virtual reality pointing task we systematically explored how three performance metrics driving the feedback affected players when rewarding short completion times, straight movements, or high peak speed. across different points in time - continuously, at end-of-action, or at end-of-task. On average the dynamic feedback helped people point more straight and faster, while for others it had small or opposite effect. The study quantitatively compared dynamic feedback across three forms with the metrics driving the form as the intended locus of quantitative comparison. Our work improves game designers basis for crafting dynamic feedback by helping them know when to employ feedback schemes that align with desirable game performance objectives.

Problem

• dynamic feedback
• performance metrics
• virtual reality
• pointing task
• player performance

Innovation

• dynamic feedback
• virtual reality
• performance metrics
• self-regulation
• pointing task