Enhancing Player Experience Through Engaging Resets: Evaluating a Multi-Use Haptic Interface in Redirected Walking Applications

Standard virtual reality (VR) controllers often provide limited tactile feedback, which can detract from player immersion and the seamlessness of interactions diminishing the overall experience. This paper evaluates MUHI - a Multi-Use Haptic Interface, which is a novel passive haptic tool designed to enhance player experience by convincingly simulating multiple virtual tools through its distinct physical handles. These tools are central to a series of playable mini-games embedded within a narrative-driven, redirected walking (RDW) based VR experience. The experience incorporates the RDW related drift, such that the temporarily stationary physical prop MUHI can represent various virtual tools in different parts of the virtual environment. The core investigation focuses on how integrating tangible, tool-based interactions via MUHI into these minigames enhances the game experience and immersive qualities, potentially concealing the RDW resets incidentally. A user study (N=17) compared the experience of playing the VR game with MUHI against a standard VR controller. Results demonstrate that MUHI significantly enhanced user enjoyment and increased reported presence scores. These findings suggest that specialized passive haptic interfaces like MUHI can substantially improve player engagement and the overall experience in VR applications, particularly by making core game mechanics, including those designed to mask RDW resets, more interactive and compelling.