A grounded study in user preference for immersive sound in extended reality environments

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Audio Engineering
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Spatialized audio is essential for creating believable and engaging immersive experiences in virtual reality (VR) and other extended reality (XR) applications.
• Current VR headsets often rely on integrated audio solutions, which may limit the sense of realism and immersion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the immersive qualities of built-in VR headset audio with physical loudspeaker dispersion systems.
• To evaluate user perception of realism, immersion, and sound localization between the two audio systems.
• To identify user preferences for audio solutions in XR environments.

Main Methods:

• A user study was conducted comparing a commercially available VR headset's audio with a physical loudspeaker dispersion system.
• Participants experienced VR content using both audio setups.
• Data collection included immersion, realism, localization phenomena assessments, a preference test, and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• Participants reported a significantly greater sense of immersion, realism, and localization phenomena with the physical loudspeaker system compared to the VR headset's built-in audio.
• A strong user preference was observed for both high-end and entry-level loudspeaker systems over the headset audio.
• Qualitative feedback corroborated the quantitative findings, highlighting the superiority of external loudspeakers.

Conclusions:

• Physical loudspeaker systems offer a superior audio solution for enhancing immersion and realism in extended reality experiences.
• The findings provide valuable design insights for developing more compelling and believable XR applications.
• Future XR audio design should consider the integration of advanced spatialized sound technologies beyond integrated headset solutions.