From the perspective of user experience, 3 suggestions should be paid attention to improve VR user retention rate

As it turns out, the development of VR is not as satisfactory as expected. In part, the problem is its poor user retention rate . As we all know, user retention rate usually depends on the product's interaction design and user experience . So the question is, how can VR companies create a better user experience so that users are willing to continue using their applications?

I think we need to start with these three key aspects to retain users:

1. Make the user experience (UX) simpler and more intuitive.
2. Understand the limitations of the medium and create great content
3. Focus on uniqueness and create experiences that can only be achieved in VR

To better understand these three points, we interviewed several veterans in the VR and AR industries. They generally believe that companies can improve user retention through better user experience design.

Make user experience simpler

Have you ever downloaded a mobile app that was a hassle to use? Are you still using that app? Probably not. Unless you have special circumstances. Likewise, creating simple and intuitive user experiences and interactions in VR and AR is critical to user retention and the long-term success of your product. Perhaps one of the main reasons why immersive experiences often leave users confused is that they lack the context and experience of interacting in the 3D medium of VR.

When users download a new iPhone app, they usually have a general idea of ​​the app’s interaction options: tap here, pinch this, swipe this, and that’s it! ! At present, there is no better user experience design in the VR and AR fields that can provide users with "best practices". Therefore, with every new VR or AR application, users must go through an above-average learning curve before they can figure out how to use the application.

Sean Chen is the UX Director at Atheer, an AR platform for industrial enterprises. He elaborated on this point: “Before AR came to the iPhone, there were no globally accepted interaction and user experience standards, so AR and VR technology implementations were fragmented, which made it very challenging to deliver a high-quality experience that could scale to a large audience.”

Sean Chen said: "Multimodal interaction (gestures, voice, head movements, etc.) will be the key to creating a convincing user experience. Therefore, as creators in the industry, we need to design very intuitive interaction modes, utilize the right mode input at the right time, and create applications on top of it to establish the best synergy. This will greatly reduce the user's learning curve and usage barriers, allowing them to master the operation methods and complete daily tasks faster, thereby bringing higher return on investment (ROI) to companies adopting the platform."

Understand the limitations of the medium

Another issue that negatively impacts the VR user experience is that content creators often do not consider the limitations of the medium when producing content. This is most apparent on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive platforms, especially when the user moves outside of the range of the sensors. Users often lose control of the "virtual hand", which may randomly drift toward the ceiling or disappear completely.

Only if users reposition themselves in the real world can they continue their experience in the virtual world. Obviously, this will inevitably make users unhappy. Therefore, when creating compelling content, one should consider the existing medium limitations. VR games like Superhot and Dear Angelica demonstrate that it’s possible to create memorable, immersive experiences while working within the existing limitations of the medium.

“It’s much better to create a limited but meaningful experience than to try to do too much,” said Greg Madison, senior interaction designer at Unity. “We’ve seen a lot of simple PC game conversions on high-end platforms like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in the early days of VR that didn’t really require or take full advantage of the VR medium and its unique capabilities. ”

"In contrast, the second wave of AR is already showing promise. Thanks to the release of ARKit and ARCore on iOS and Android, most developers have all the functionality they need to code and test a lot of crazy ideas. Add to that the potential for a large user base who will quickly figure out what works and what doesn't. This could lead to simple and useful AR 'experiences' that introduce an entire generation to spatial computing. However, smartphone-based AR will remain in the realm of gadgets until consumer-usable AR glasses are available."

Focus on uniqueness and create experiences that can only be achieved in VR

Understanding the capabilities of a new computing platform takes time. In an effort to spark the next wave as quickly as possible, some VR content creators have accumulated experiences that are not well suited to immersive 3D media. Netflix's VR app, for example, lets you watch your Netflix shows in a swanky virtual cabin. However, you're still watching 2D videos on a 2D flat-screen TV - which means they've simulated the experience of watching Netflix. But wearing a sweaty headset on your head is inconvenient after all.

In this case, it is difficult to justify the price and user experience of VR equipment. However, VR technology like MasterpieceVR allows people to work together to create floating 3D creations that can't be replicated in the real world. VR technology can also bring us a social experience that is impossible to replicate in the real world. For example, if you are in China, you can communicate with your American friends face to face.

Adam Arrigo, CEO of music-themed VR social platform TheWaveVR, further elaborated on this point: "Since VR is a brand new medium, pioneers in the field should build things that make the impossible possible. If we can raise the standard and diversity of immersive experiences, people will be more willing to buy a VR device."

“Making visual and audio experiences compelling in VR applications is more important than ever. In this area, we are focused on enabling people to express themselves at the intersection of technology, social interaction and music.”

Conclusion

Perhaps the biggest reason VR hasn’t taken off is that expectations were too high from the start. It’s not clear whether any particular group of stakeholders — investors, startup founders, analysts and the media — have a good idea of ​​how it’s going. But, as we move forward, we should all learn lessons from VR’s hype cycle.

Theo Goguely, marketing director at Atheer, explains: “AR and VR are incredibly powerful technologies that will revolutionize the world when they are fully mature and deployed everywhere. But they have also been discussed, imagined, hyped, and anticipated for decades by enthusiasts and Hollywood. At the same time, startups in this space are often incentivized by the venture capital community to set a grand goal, which results in many still-visionary video clips that obscure the challenges they face.”