Classifying the asymmetric virtual reality user experience

What is it about?

Asymmetric virtual reality (VR) is what happens when you only have access to one VR headset but want to share the experiences with a multitude of people who are in one location (probably, your home). You can put on Beat Saber and take turns playing, then passing, then playing, using the scoreboard to get a little competition going. You can bust out Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes to keep a small group engaged while each member waits for their turn to diffuse the bomb. In some way, each of these is asymmetrical. Understanding the similarities and differences between these experiences is one thing, but describing that in a way that is useful for the creation of new games and VR experiences is not. That's where this paper comes in. Over time, people have tried to make sense of the asymmetries that can present themselves in communication media and in video games, but not specifically for VR. The Composite Framework for Asymmetric VR (CAVR) lays out 5 categories of asymmetry based on the previous work around asymmetric interactions and information.

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Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Asymmetric VR is a unique form of Mixed Reality which accommodates heterogeneous use of technology, an expected constant in the world of cutting-edge technology, especially as adoption continues. To create remarkable asymmetric VR experiences, we need to understand the variables with which we can play, as well as the impacts the changes to those variables have on the designed experience. This framework is the first step to unifying this emergent area of Mixed Reality.