Continuance intention toward VR games of intangible cultural heritage: A stimulus-organism-response perspective

Virtual reality (VR) games have become a popular method to preserve and transmit intangible cultural heritage in recent years. However, empirical studies pertaining to motivations behind the continuance intention to play VR games featuring intangible cultural heritage have been limited. The objective of this study focuses on answering an essential question: what factors influence user’s continuance intention to play intangible cultural heritage VR games? Both Stimulus-Organism-Response Theory and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) are considered to develop twelve hypotheses and build the research framework. A survey of 190 respondents was conducted, and the results were analyzed by using PLS-SEM. The results show that visual attractiveness, interactivity, and immersion are significant indicators in measuring users’ continuance intention to play. Additionally, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment of VR games positively influence their continuance intention. This study enriches the research of intangible cultural heritage VR games. It also provides theoretical implications for scholars and design strategies for VR developers and designers.