Pause and Play: Retaining Virtual Elements in an Augmented Reality Mode Supports Seamless Return to Virtual Reality

During gameplay using head-mounted displays (HMDs), players often need to pause and exit the virtual environment (VE) due to unexpected interruptions. Such pauses can disrupt gameplay flow, cause disorientation, and lead to loss of game state upon return. In this study, we designed four cross-reality pausing environments that retain selected virtual game components in an augmented reality mode when exiting the VE: player avatar, enemies, surroundings, and pause menu. We evaluated these environments in a user study (n = 20) using a first-person shooter (FPS) game in which participants paused and resumed gameplay in response to various real-world interruptions. We also compared these environments to a baseline full-passthrough mode without AR components. Participants significantly preferred the player avatar and enemy conditions over the others. The player avatar helped users return to their original in-game location, while enemies helped maintain a sense of connection and understanding of the game state. In general, players considered their performance in both worlds when evaluating pausing environments, but game performance within the VE tended to carry greater weight in their judgments. Taken together, our findings provide insights and strategies for designing cross-reality pausing environments that better support smooth and seamless gameplay resumption after breaks and interruptions.