A Methodology for Evaluating User Experience in Human-Centered Extended Reality Applications

Extended Reality (XR) technologies are increasingly used to create immersive and interactive systems across domains such as education, training, health, and entertainment. As these systems become more complex and multisensory, evaluating user experience (UX) in XR environments requires approaches that go beyond traditional usability assessments and consider perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and interaction-related factors. However, existing UX evaluation efforts in XR often rely on isolated instruments or domain-specific studies, lacking a systematic and reusable evaluation methodology. This paper proposes a human-centered methodology for evaluating user experience in extended reality applications, integrating UX dimensions and XR-specific characteristics into a structured and coherent evaluation process. The methodology is grounded in a multi-phase research process that includes a comprehensive literature review, expert consultation, correlation analysis between UX dimensions and XR features, and formal specification of evaluation phases and activities. Based on this process, the proposed methodology supports evaluators in selecting appropriate UX evaluation methods and instruments according to the characteristics and experiential goals of XR applications. The methodology defines a set of UX dimensions tailored to immersive environments, capturing perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and interaction aspects that are critical for the design and evaluation of adaptive and human-centered XR systems. An expert-based validation was conducted to assess the clarity, usefulness, and applicability of the methodology, leading to refinements in its structure and descriptions. The methodology promotes a human-centered approach by considering user perception, emotional impact, and contextual experience across XR modalities. It additionally contributes to the field by offering a reusable process for UX evaluation in XR, supporting more consistent, transparent, and human-centered assessment practices. It also provides a foundation for future empirical studies and the development of evaluation approaches inspired by natural and adaptive human-environment interactions.