Now I’m Not Afraid: Reducing Fear of Missing Out in 360° Videos on a Head-Mounted Display using a Panoramic Thumbnail

Abstract

Cinematic virtual reality, or 360° video, provides viewers with an immersive experience, allowing them to enjoy a video while moving their head to watch in any direction. However, there is an inevitable problem of feeling fear of missing out (FOMO) when viewing a 360° video, as only a part of the video is visible to the viewer at any given time. To solve this problem, we developed a technique to present a panoramic thumbnail of a full 360° video to users through a head-mounted display. With this technique, the user can grasp the overall view of the video as needed. We conducted an experiment to evaluate the FOMO, presence, and quality of viewing experience while using this technique compared to normal viewing without it. The results of the experiment show that the proposed technique relieved FOMO, the quality of viewing experience was improved, and there was no difference in presence. We also investigated how users interacted with this new interface based on eye tracking and head tracking data during viewing, which suggested that users used the panoramic thumbnail to actively explore outside their field of view.