Understanding Cross-Cultural User Experience in Virtual Reality Across Presence, Emotion, and Interaction

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used across domains such as education, training, and cultural applications, highlighting the need for inclusive user experience (UX) design for diverse global audiences. However, cross-cultural differences in UX within immersive environments remain underexplored. This work investigates how users from Eastern, Western, and mixed cultural backgrounds perceive culturally themed VR experiences. A mixed-method user study (N = 25) was conducted using two VR experience types: culturally themed 360° videos and interactive roleplay conversations with AI avatars. User experience, presence, and emotional responses were measured using UEQ-S, IPQ, and SAM questionnaires, complemented by qualitative feedback. Results indicate that cultural background significantly influences hedonic experience and emotional responses. While pragmatic quality showed limited cultural variation, significant interaction effects were observed for hedonic quality across video types. Presence measures showed smaller cultural differences overall, but emotional responses, particularly dominance and arousal, varied significantly between cultural groups. These findings highlight the importance of considering cultural background when designing VR experiences. Incorporating culturally adaptive interaction and narrative elements may support more inclusive and engaging immersive systems for global user populations.

Recommended citation: Nguyen Thi, T.-T. S., Vergari, M., Möller, S., Voigt-Antons, J.-N. & Kojić, T. (2026, April). Understanding Cross-Cultural User Experience in Virtual Reality Across Presence, Emotion, and Interaction. Paper presented at the workshop Shaping Future Human Connection: Social Augmentation through XR Technologies at CHI 2026, Barcelona, Spain.