EVALUATING PERCEIVED IMMERSIVENESS IN A SELF-COMPETITION VR CYCLING EXERGAME POST-PROTOTYPING ENHANCEMENTS

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) cycling exergames have gained attention for promoting physical activity through immersive environments. However, the sense of player immersiveness, defined as how engaged and present users feel, remains underexplored, particularly following iterative prototype refinements. This study evaluates perceived immersiveness in a self-competition VR cycling exergame enhanced based on prior pilot feedback. A total of 51 healthy participants, aged 21 to 39, experienced a standardized gameplay session using the improved prototype. Immediately after, they rated their immersion using a 10-point Likert type scale and responded to open-ended questions regarding their experience. Results revealed a high average immersion score (mean = 8.37), with most responses clustered at 8 and 9. Qualitative feedback highlighted visual fidelity, system responsiveness, and adaptive feedback as key factors enhancing immersion. Participants also expressed enjoyment and motivation influenced by the self-competition feature. Unlike prior studies that primarily assessed motivation or usability, this work provides one of the first quantitative measures of perceived immersion following system refinement. The findings offer practical implications for VR fitness developers, particularly in designing self-competition mechanics and responsive feedback systems to sustain user motivation and engagement. These findings indicate that personalized feedback and competitive mechanics can significantly enhance user immersion in VR exergames. This study contributes new evidence to the literature and provides actionable insights for future applications of VR exergames in health, fitness, and rehabilitation contexts.