EXPLORING USABILITY AND GRATIFICATIONS FOR VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATIONS AT FESTIVALS

The digital creation of virtual environments has opened many doors for the creation of new experiences, offering the trend of ever immersive, engaging, and multisensory virtual reality (VR) experiences. However, studies on VR within the science festival context are limited. Therefore, with a focus on usability and gratifications, this study aims to explore the antecedents of the behavioral intention to use VR at science festivals. Before participating in a questionnaire, 447 users experienced a VR application and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings reveal that usability influences gratification factors, which influence users' behavioral intention to engage with science.