The Impact of Physical Props and Physics-Associated Visual Feedback on VR Archery Performance

Most existing virtual reality exergames rely on generic VR devices, which can limit the physical exertion in VR-based exercises. In contrast, physical props can enhance exercise intensity, yet their impact on users' performance and experience remains understudied, particularly in skill-based tasks. Meanwhile, physical props offer richer tactile and kinesthetic feedback, which, combined with the visual effects of head-mounted displays, presents a potential solution for improving user experience in VR. To explore this, this study developed a sensor-driven experimental framework for investigating high-skill VR tasks. By integrating vision sensors with standard VR devices, we constructed a VR archery system that enables objective quantification of motor performance. Leveraging the sensor-driven framework, we investigate the effects of physical props and physics-associated visual feedback on players' performance and experience in VR tasks through an experiment involving 33 participants. By objectively quantifying performance, we reveal a dual-pathway mechanism: physical props significantly increased hand tremor, which in turn impaired aiming accuracy, but this negative effect was effectively moderated by time and physics-associated visual feedback that enabled real-time sensorimotor compensation. While complex physical props reduced task performance, they substantially enhanced enjoyment and presence, particularly demonstrating a synergistic effect on users' flow experience when combined with physics-associated visual feedback. These findings elucidate the complex interplay between physical prop interfaces and visual feedback in high-skill VR tasks, providing valuable insights for designing VR experiences which balance performance requirements and engagement enhancement.