Effects of Sensory Immersion on Behavioural Indicators of Player Experience: Movement Synchrony and Controller Pressure

This study examines whether sensory immersion in a racing game shapes behavioural indicators of player experience, specifically controller tilt synchrony with in-game turns and the force applied to gamepad buttons. Twenty-four participants, mostly university students aged 18 to 26, played four track sessions of a racing game under a fully counterbalanced 2 x 2 within-subjects design that varied screen size (20-inch versus 42-inch display, corresponding to a 14.2° versus 27.5° field of view) and sound pressure level (60 dBA versus 80 dBA). Self-reported arousal, presence, dominance, and pleasure were collected using Self-Assessment Manikin scales, while behaviour was captured through a modified gamepad with pressure sensors and an accelerometer.

The sound pressure manipulation produced the strongest effects. Higher sound levels significantly increased self-reported presence, arousal, and dominance, and also raised the pressure participants applied to controller buttons, which was higher in the loud condition. Screen size affected presence alone, with the larger display producing higher presence ratings, consistent with prior work. Controller tilt reliably distinguished left turns, right turns, and straight sections, indicating that players did move in synchrony with the game, but this synchrony was not altered by either manipulation.

The authors conclude that interface pressure is a promising real-time indicator of player arousal and presence, whereas controller tilt synchrony is useful for detecting event-linked movement but was insensitive to the immersion manipulations in this study. Limitations include a small, relatively homogeneous sample and a single racing game, and the authors call for further work to refine behavioural measures and map them more precisely to specific affective states.