Evaluating Human Experiences of Touching Virtual Reality: A State of The Art Review

Technological advances offer the potential for compelling multisensory experiences where users can touch virtuality and interact with one another. However, designing a good user experience (UX) is challenging due to the interdisciplinary and subjective nature of the problem. Technological advances alone are unable to account for human factors or ensure a good experience, making UX evaluation crucial for technology adoption. A state-of-the-art review explores the UX evaluation in practice for virtual experiences using wearable and handheld haptic (touch) devices since the launch of the Oculus in 2018. This review provides insight into the challenges related to user experience evaluations, an extensive overview of the approaches utilized, the dimensions and qualities under examination, and a taxonomy of methods of value to those interested in evaluating user experience for touch in virtual reality. Findings indicate that evaluation methods designed to assess haptic experiences in virtual environments are needed, and qualitative approaches designed to gather direct feedback can inform and improve the development of high-quality experiences.