Asymmetric Interaction in VR Game Live Streaming: Examining Role and Device Influences on Experience and Collaborative Performance

Virtual Reality (VR) game live streaming has emerged as a fast-growing interactive entertainment format, yet the asymmetric interaction between streamers and audiences remains an under-explored core challenge. in this paper, we examine how role asymmetry (spectator vs. participant) and device asymmetry (mobile vs. VR) shape experience and task efficiency in a small-group, goal-directed VR game live streaming setting. We conducted a 2×2 within-subjects experiment. Results show that: (1) Participant role (higher interaction capability) significantly improves all dimensions of audience experience and collaborative efficiency; (2) VR device significantly enhances player experience and collaborative efficiency; (3) Significant interaction effects exist between role and device on player experience. This work extends asymmetric interaction theory to the emerging VR live streaming context, provides empirical evidence for the mechanism of multi-dimensional asymmetric interaction, and offers context specific design guidelines for similar collaborative VR live streaming systems.