Dissertation
Gameplay
Gallery
Features & Technical Breakdown
Overview
For my dissertation, I investigated how different inventory design philosophies affect player immersion in virtual reality games. To support the research, I independently designed and developed a VR car mechanic sandbox prototype in Unreal Engine 5, featuring two fully functional inventory systems: a metaphoric, in-world tool bench and an abstract hand-mounted menu. The project was created as a controlled testing environment where participants completed a series of maintenance tasks using both inventory systems. Through user testing and questionnaire-based analysis, I evaluated how each approach influenced immersion, engagement, usability, and player preference. The findings showed a strong preference for the metaphoric design, highlighting the importance of natural interactions and physical world integration in VR experiences. This project combined VR gameplay programming, interaction design, UI/UX research, user testing, and technical implementation, providing practical insight into how immersive interfaces can improve player experience in virtual reality applications.
Technical Breakdown
The project itself consisted of one main level that each participant would play twice. The main section of the game, the car repair, is mostly contained inside of a single blueprint. There are a total of 5 tasks: 1. Remove the wheels 2. Clean the windows 3. Empty oil pan 4. Refill oil level 5. Replace a faulty headlight For the metaphoric system, which made use of physical tools, these tasks were heavily based on the physics system built into the VR template, as is the case for the majority of VR interactions within a game engine. For the character and some enhanced template features, I made use of the VR Expansion Plugin (VRE), an open source plugin designed to enhance VR interactions and gameplay elements (https://vreue4.com). For the abstract system, the interaction with the car was exactly the same, but to gain access to the tools, I created a VR interactable UI menu. This could be used with the thumbstick of the hand that the menu was opened on, or using a pointer on the opposite hand.
