Dissertation

Duration: 20 WeeksStatus: ArchivedEngine: Unreal Engine 5Role: Solo DeveloperPlatform: VR

Designed and developed a VR car mechanic sandbox in Unreal Engine 5 to investigate the impact of inventory design on player immersion. The project implemented and compared two distinct inventory systems, an in-world metaphoric tool bench and an abstract hand-mounted menu, and was used to conduct user testing as part of my dissertation research. Findings demonstrated that physically integrated inventory systems significantly improved immersion and user engagement within virtual reality environments.

Gameplay

Features & Technical Breakdown

Gameplay Systems

~~ VR Interactions ~~ • Developed two fully functioning inventory systems for comparative testing. • Implemented object interaction, in-game tool handling, and task progression systems. • Designed and implemented a complete VR car maintenance gameplay loop. ~~ Task Progression ~~ Participants completed a series of vehicle maintenance activities designed to require frequent tool usage: • Wheel removal • Window cleaning • Oil drainage • Oil replacement • Headlight replacement This task structure ensured both inventory systems were exercised repeatedly throughout testing. ~~ VRE Plugin ~~ To enhance VR interaction quality, I integrated the VR Expansion Plugin, extending the capabilities of Unreal Engine's default VR template and improving object interaction fidelity. ~~ Inventory Implementation ~~ • Developed a base tool system to interact with the main car maintenance loop. • Implemented both a UI-based, and physical inventory system, each built around the same underlying tool framework to ensure consistent testing conditions.

Technical Challenges

~~ Challenge: Experimental Consistency ~~ The project required two fundamentally different inventory systems to provide identical functionality, while maintaining their distinct interaction methods. To ensure a fair comparison, both systems were designed around the same gameplay tasks and toolset, allowing differences in player experiences to be attributed to the inventory design instead of gameplay variation. ~~ Challenge: VR Interaction Design ~~ Unlike traditional games, VR interactions require players to physically manipulate objects within a three-dimensional space, generally using some form of physics. To support this, I implemented physics-based interactions and leveraged the VR Expansion Plugin to improve object handling, player comfort, and interaction reliability throughout the experience. ~~ Challenge: Controlled User Testing ~~ Due to the application being used for academic research, every participant needed to experience the same tasks under the same conditions. I designed the gameplay loop as a controlled sandbox environment, ensuring all participants completed identical maintenance tasks regardless of which inventory system was being evaluated.

User Testing and Research

• Designed a controlled testing environment for participant studies. • Collected and analysed questionnaire data from user testing sessions. • Evaluated immersion, usability, engagement, and player preference across both inventory systems.

Results

• Successfully developed and evaluated two complete VR inventory systems. • Conducted testing and questionnaire-based analysis. • Results indicated a strong preference for diegetic, physically integrated inventory design. • Achieved a First-Class grade as my undergraduate dissertation project.

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