VR Cloud Gaming UX: Exploring the Impact of Network Quality on Emotion, Presence, Game Experience and Cybersickness

TL;DR

This work investigates how network quality impacts UX in VR cloud gaming by streaming Beat Saber and Cubism to Quest 3 under controlled packet loss and delay using NetEm. A within-subject design with 16 participants reveals that packet loss degrades MOS, emotion, presence, and cybersickness more than delay, with game-specific effects (e.g., Beat Saber cybersickness increases under loss; Cubism presence decreases). The results highlight the critical role of network stability for VR cloud gaming and suggest genre-aware optimization to mitigate UX degradation. Practically, the findings inform QoE-focused design and network prioritization strategies for VR streaming services.

Abstract

This study explores the user experience (UX) of virtual reality (VR) cloud gaming under simulated network degradation conditions. Two contrasting games (Beat Saber, Cubism) were streamed via Meta Air Link to a Quest 3 device in a laboratory setup. Packet loss and delay were introduced into the streaming network using NetEm for WiFi traffic manipulation. In a within-subjects experiment, 16 participants played both games under three network conditions (Loss, Delay, Baseline), followed by post-game questionnaires assessing their emotions, perceived quality, game experience, sense of presence, and cybersickness. Friedman's test and Dunn's post-hoc test for pairwise comparisons revealed that packet loss had a greater impact on UX than delay across almost all evaluated aspects. Notably, packet loss in Beat Saber led to a significant increase in cybersickness, whereas in Cubism, players experienced a significant reduction in their sense of presence. Additionally, both games exhibited statistically significant variations between conditions in most game experience dimensions, perceived quality, and emotional responses. This study highlights the critical role of network stability in VR cloud gaming, particularly in minimizing packet loss. The different dynamics between the games suggest the possibility of genre-specific optimization and novel game design considerations for VR cloud games.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Cubism (left) and Beat Saber (right).
• Figure 2: MOS scores grouped by game and condition (Whiskers denote distribution outside quartiles, circles indicate outliers).
• Figure 3: Total scores from CSQ-VR grouped by game and condition (Whiskers denote distribution outside quartiles, circles indicate outliers).