How does immersion work in augmented reality games? A user-centric view of immersion and engagement

In the wake of the remarkable popularity of augmented reality (AR) games, immersion has emerged as a key trend, raising questions about the role immersion plays in games and the manner in which humans actually experience it. Focusing on immersion in AR games, this study investigates the game-playing experience to determine whether users have favorable responses and how players’ experiences of immersion influence their satisfaction with and attitude toward AR games. It proposes an AR-game-experience model based on integrating cognitive and motivational constructs as the primary influencing cues. The results validate that the proposed model explains and predicts user experience of AR games highly adequately. The model exhibits adequate measurement properties and highlights engagement factors as distinct constructs. The results indicate the users’ perspective of immersion, implying a new conceptualization of immersion as well as the need for user-based engagement measures.