Comparing locomotion techniques in virtual reality: Effects on user experience and psychological appraisal of urban environment

This study investigates the impact of different locomotion techniques on user experience and psychological appraisal of photorealistic simulated urban environments in Virtual Reality (VR). Forty-eight participants explored a realistic street model of a university district in Milan using four locomotion techniques: Joystick-based (JB), Point-and-Teleport (PT), Instant Teleportation (IT), and Arm Swinging (AS). User experience was evaluated through the VR Locomotion Experience Questionnaire (VRLEQ), while psychometric measures of Arousal, Pleasure, Anxiety, and Environmental Preference were collected at predefined points of view along the path. Travel times within the simulated environment were also analyzed. Results highlight significant differences between the tested techniques, which affect user experience, psychological appraisal of the simulated environment and travel times. IT was associated with lower engagement, leading to emotional and cognitive detachment from the urban context. AS, while enhancing immersion and positive affect, was mentally and physically challenging, inducing increased arousal and anxiety in environmental appraisal. JB supported intuitive and natural exploration associated with average environmental appraisal, although qualitative feedback highlighted motion sickness. PT offered high user experience, reduced discomfort and psychological appraisal patterns broadly comparable to JB. These findings highlight that selecting an appropriate locomotion technique is a critical consideration in designing VR experiences for urban environment research.