Presence and Platform: Effects of Embodiment Comparing a 2D Computer and 3D VR Game

This randomized control study focused on how presence - the feeling of being there - is affected by the two factors of 1) embodiment (low versus high) and 2) learning platform (2D PC versus 3D Virtual Reality (VR)). Embodiment was deemed low if participants watched playbacks of the natural selection game in action, and it was deemed high if players used a physical gesture, either with a mouse or the VR hand control to manipulate the content. Two dependent variables of presence and engagement were assessed. The 147 participants were randomly assigned. Overall, those in the high embodiment conditions report higher presence, and overall those in the VR platform report higher presence. However, pairwise analyses showed that the high embodied PC group reported more presence than the low embodied VR group. This suggests that 'platform is not destiny'. If an educational game or application is not one that gives the learner control and agency, then both presence and engagement will be diminished.