Pinging Between Worlds: Training Table Tennis Novice Players in Real Environment for Virtual Reality Competitions

Modern Virtual Reality (VR) technology has enabled users to experience Real Environment (RE) sports in their homes. For VR table tennis, one of the most popular VR sports, the players have rankings and tournaments and compete for RE awards. Based on this phenomenon, this paper aims to understand the benefits of RE training in improving VR table tennis skills. In a user study with 12 novice table tennis players, we measured their performance in 16 basic skills via a pre- and post-study design using a novel training protocol designed for both RE and VR players. We also asked participants for their insights into the training and to evaluate their experience. Our results show a significant improvement in all measured skills. However, participants identified issues with the technology that caused discomfort. Our findings provide valuable insights for software developers working on VR sports applications, enabling them to create better experiences for VR table tennis players. They can also help developers of VR training applications identify areas for improvement with the current technology.