Designing a Multisensory VR Game Prototype for Older Adults - the Acceptability and Design Implications

Simultaneous declines in visual function (e.g., dynamic visual acuity), cognitive ability (e.g., cognitive control/multitasking), and physical function (e.g., balance) are major symptoms of aging. Integrating stimulation for those sensory channels into a game could be a suitable way for older adults to engage in long-term health interventions. However, existing game design has not considered the relationship and synergistic impact of multisensory channels of dynamic visual acuity, cognitive ability, and physical function for older adults. We therefore developed the first multisensory VR game system prototype based on cognitive psychology paradigms (e.g., multitasking and Go/No-Go tasks), full-body movement (limb movement), and dynamic visual acuity exercises (horizontal, vertical and forward-backward eye movements) in the VR system environment. We then conducted an experiment to measure the acceptability (in terms of e.g., cybersickness, mental workload, etc.) of our VR game for older adults. The young adults and a PC task were included for comparisons. Qualitative and quantitative results showed that older adults did not experience cybersickness in either sitting or standing postures during the VR gameplay; they well-accepted the workload of the VR game compared to the PC task. Our findings revealed that the design combination of three sensory channels shows synergistic benefits for older adults. Our game encourages older adults to engage in extensive body movement in sitting and standing postures, this is particularly important to people with disabilities who cannot stand. Design implications are provided for the future development and implementation of VR game design for older adults. Our work provides empirical support for the acceptability of multisensory VR systems in older adults, and contributes to the future design of VR games for older adults.