Software Testing for Extended Reality Applications: A Systematic Mapping Study

TL;DR

XR software testing is an emerging field facing unique challenges from 6DOF interactions and real-time, context-aware environments. This paper uses a systematic mapping of 34 primary XR testing studies to characterise the landscape, classify testing facets (activities, concerns, techniques), and evaluate how studies validate approaches. Key contributions include a structured taxonomy of XR testing topics, a public repository of datasets and tools, and a synthesis of open challenges and directions such as interaction formalisation, automated oracles, and AI-assisted testing. The findings reveal a VR-dominated research focus, a heavy emphasis on automated testing and scene-level validation, and a need for more software-centric usability evaluation and robust evaluation frameworks for XR testing in real-world contexts. Together, these insights provide a foundation for advancing XR QA practices and guiding future research toward scalable, automated, and device-agnostic XR testing solutions.

Abstract

Extended Reality (XR) is an emerging technology spanning diverse application domains and offering immersive user experiences. However, its unique characteristics, such as six degrees of freedom interactions, present significant testing challenges distinct from traditional 2D GUI applications, demanding novel testing techniques to build high-quality XR applications. This paper presents the first systematic mapping study on software testing for XR applications. We selected 34 studies focusing on techniques and empirical approaches in XR software testing for detailed examination. The studies are classified and reviewed to address the current research landscape, test facets, and evaluation methodologies in the XR testing domain. Additionally, we provide a repository summarising the mapping study, including datasets and tools referenced in the selected studies, to support future research and practical applications. Our study highlights open challenges in XR testing and proposes actionable future research directions to address the gaps and advance the field of XR software testing.

Figures (10)

• Figure 1: Reality-Virtuality Continuum
• Figure 2: Examples of AR and VR Scenes
• Figure 3: Examples of Scene Graphs
• Figure 4: Process of the mapping study
• Figure 5: Literature search and selection process. The numbers on the arrows indicate the number of studies provided to the next stage.