From One World to Another: Interfaces for Efficiently Transitioning Between Virtual Environments

2026-02-01

AI Summary

Current virtual reality systems lack efficient mechanisms for switching between multiple environments, which hinders user performance and experience. This study presents the first systematic comparison of eight VR context-switching interfaces based on portals and Worlds-in-Miniature (WiMs). Employing a user-centered design approach, the evaluation integrates controlled experiments, task performance metrics, and qualitative interviews. Results demonstrate that WiMs significantly outperform other techniques in spatial preview and task efficiency, whereas portals facilitate faster orientation. Beyond identifying the respective strengths and ideal use cases of these two paradigms, the work establishes empirically grounded design guidelines for multi-environment navigation in virtual reality.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Social Cognition And Interaction
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Virtualization and resource management in Web systems and infrastructures
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metrics

Abstract

Personal computers and handheld devices provide keyboard shortcuts and swipe gestures to enable users to efficiently switch between applications, whereas today's virtual reality (VR) systems do not. In this work, we present an exploratory study on user interface aspects to support efficient switching between worlds in VR. We created eight interfaces that afford previewing and selecting from the available virtual worlds, including methods using portals and worlds-in-miniature (WiMs). To evaluate these methods, we conducted a controlled within-subjects empirical experiment (N=22) where participants frequently transitioned between six different environments to complete an object collection task. Our quantitative and qualitative results show that WiMs supported rapid acquisition of high-level spatial information while searching and were deemed most efficient by participants while portals provided fast pre-orientation. Finally, we present insights into the applicability, usability, and effectiveness of the VR world switching methods we explored, and provide recommendations for their application and future context/world switching techniques and interfaces.

Problem

• virtual reality
• world switching
• user interface
• multitasking
• VR navigation

Innovation

• worlds-in-miniature
• portals
• virtual reality
• context switching
• user interface