Key Factors for Feeling Present During a Music Experience in Virtual Reality Using 360° Video

Abstract: This is a study on what factors are important for a user to feel present when watching a 360° video of a musical experience. This is of interest because experiences in VR are still under exploration. Some artists are trying to live stream their concerts in VR showing that music in VR is something that is of interest. The video used in this study was recorded in Adolf Fredriks Kyrka, a church in Stockholm. I used a GoPro Omni Rig that records 360 degrees simultaneously to shoot the video in the church. The video was then shown in a user study with 23 participants divided into two groups, one VR-group that watched the video with an Oculus Rift and one control group that watched the video on a regular computer screen. The participants got to answer questions regarding their experience both before and after having watched the video. The result shows that there are few differences in the experience between the two groups. For example the VR-group felt more present in the virtual world than the control group. The thing that most participants commented on was the image quality of the video. It was not high enough according to some and it was also a bit blurry. Even though the image quality was a bit poor, the VR-group did not feel that it was too distracting for them to feel present. Overall the participants felt that it was a good and fun experience to watch. The most important factor for the feeling of presence is the level of immersion in the system. A fully immersive system will most likely give a higher feeling of presence than a non-immersive system. Two other factors that are important are the image quality and the audio. These three factors combined with interesting content will most likely lead to an experience where the user feels present in the virtual world and forgets the real world for a while.