Exploring the Effects of Stereoscopic 3D on Gaming Experience Using Physiological Sensors

Past studies have shown that playing games in 3D stereo does not provide any significant performance benefits than with using a 2D display. However, most previous studies used games that were not optimized for stereoscopic 3D viewing and used self-reported data (excitement level, sense of engagement, etc.) to measure user experience. We propose to study games that are optimized for stereoscopic 3D viewing and use physiological sensors (an EEG and a heart rate monitor) to better gauge the user’s experience with these games. Our preliminary results reveal that stereo 3D does provide benefits in tasks where depth information is useful for the game task at hand. Additionally, participants in the 3D group had lower levels of stress and higher heart rates indicating a higher sense of engagement and presence under stereoscopic 3D conditions.