Measuring the Level of Fun and Intuitiveness with VR Testing

How consistent test results helped PatchXR confirm assumptions and identify patterns with different audiences for PatchWorld.

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About PatchXR and PatchWorld

PatchXR is a Swiss-Danish studio focused on sound and vision in mixed realities. The team consists of award-winning artists, designers, engineers, musicians, and explorers who have worked in gaming, procedural audio, and visual art for decades and have produced work seen in museums and festivals across the globe. Co-founder Mélodie Mousset is the creator of HanaHana, an award-winning surrealist VR artwork five years in the making celebrated by film festivals and the interactive circuit alike.

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‍PatchWorld is a native VR creative environment that lets build brand-new instruments and play electronic music in the metaverse.

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Challenge

PatchXR wanted to test PatchWorld to evaluate the intuitiveness, fun, and value their users were getting. One of the challenges was deciding whether to create separate experiences for two different types of users. 

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PatchXR planned to conduct a series of test rounds. The requirements included:  

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• Testing with specific profiles.
• Ensuring task completion and evaluating the quality of deliverables.

One of the difficulties encountered was that testers sometimes ended up in the wrong locations in the app, resulting in unintended testing of different features.

Additionally, Patch XR wanted to have a detailed analysis to see the patterns and compare results by profile and experience—this required having consistent data throughout multiple test rounds.

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Solution and Outcome

VR Oxygen eliminated the described above challenges and provided consistency across all test rounds.

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PatchXR defined two profiles: Casual VR users with no previous experience using music creation tools and VR-savvy users who play a musical instrument in real life and are familiar with VR music creation tools. Additionally, demographics and English language listening comprehension were specified as prerequisites for the testers to ensure relevant feedback. The tasks for each test round were designed by the PatchXR team to cater to the specific needs of each profile.

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The deliverables for each test round included video recordings of testers following the tasks with voice commentary and post-play surveys. Interviews were conducted before the major launch to gather further insights. The tested areas were: onboarding and progression, building experience, comprehension, intuitiveness, navigation, discoverability of UI elements, as well as the level of fun and difficulty per level and overall.

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With VR Oxygen, PatchXR ensured that every tester started their test from the correct location in the app, completed the video recordings as per requirements, and followed the tasks without missing any steps. The consistency achieved across all tasks, testers, and test rounds helped to create detailed test reports and make the VR testing process more scalable. 

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Comparing the experiences of different user profiles provided valuable insights that informed crucial decisions during development. It also helped identify the value different users were getting from the platform, determine replayability, and influence other key decisions. 

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PatchWorld fulfilled the needs of both audiences, offering a comprehensive, engaging, and delightful music creation experience for everyone.

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Image credits: Patch XR and PatchWorld

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