Immersive versus Non-Immersive Virtual Reality Environments: Comparing Different Visualization Modalities in a Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task

Marianna Pizzo, Matteo Martini, Fabio Solari, Manuela Chessa

Abstract: In fields like cognitive and physical rehabilitation, adopting immersive visualization devices can be unfeasible. In these cases, the main challenge is to develop Virtual Reality (VR) scenarios that still provide a strong sense of presence, usability, and user agency, even without full immersion. This paper explores a cognitive-motor dual-task in VR, consisting in counting and reaching, comparing three non-immersive visualization methods on a 2D screen (tracked perspective camera, fixed perspective camera, fixed orthographic camera) with the immersive experience provided by a head-mounted display. The comparison focused on factors like sense of presence, usability, cognitive load, and task accuracy. Results show, as expected, that immersive VR provides a higher sense of presence and better usability with respect to the non-immersive visualization methods. Unexpectedly, the implemented 2D visualization based on a tracked perspective camera seems not to be the best approximation of imm

External IDs:dblp:conf/visigrapp/PizzoMSC25