Affording Enjoyment in VR Games: Possibilities, Pitfalls, and Perfection

In this paper, we present research that aims to understand affordances and inhibitors of enjoyment in virtual reality (VR) video games. We apply the GameFlow model to analyse VR and non-VR versions of the same games to identify differences in enjoyment in VR games. Our approach involves conducting qualitative analysis on video game reviews, using GameFlow as a theoretical foundation. We report on our analysis of the games Superhot and Skyrim. We find that affordances are largely consistent between VR and non-VR versions of the same games, with a few key differences related to Feedback, Control, Player Skills, and Immersion. We conclude that GameFlow is applicable to VR games, with the addition of a Comfort element to describe player comfort while playing.