MUSEUM IMMERSION: COMPARING VR HEADSETS AND TOUR FORMATS

Resumo

This research investigates the effectiveness of different approaches for presenting cultural experiences in virtual environments, using a digitized museum as a case study. Two Virtual Reality (VR) tour formats were developed from a 360◦ recording of the museum space: an interactive tour allowing free navigation and information selection, and a guided tour featuring an AI-driven narrative, resembling a 360◦ video. The study’s primary focus is to evaluate which tour format provides greater user immersion and retention time, and to investigate the influence of the headset type (Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, and Pico 4) on usability and user experience. The methodology employed a mixed-methods approach, includingtheadaptedMV-SUSscale,ThinkingAloud technique, A/B testing, and Recall Tests with five participants. The findings indicate a strong user preference for the Free Tour (80%), emphasizing the value of user autonomy. Furthermore, the preference for newer generation headsets (Quest 3 and Pico 4) highlights the significance of hardware quality. Crucially, the perfect performance (100% accuracy) in the recall test validates the significant educational potential of VR in cultural mediation. The study contributes valuable insights for implementing VR technologies in museological contexts, seeking to enhance cultural experience and accessibility.