Enhancing spatial memory with a serious game: VR headset versus smartphone setups
Authors:Forgiarini, A., Buttussi, F., Chittaro, L.
Published in:Virtual Reality, 2026.
Abstract:People use spatial memory in everyday life tasks, e.g., to remember a path they
followed or where they previously placed an object. With the goal of training
spatial memory, we developed a Virtual reality (VR) serious game in two versions (immersive and non-immersive). The non-immersive version is played on
a smartphone and supports gyroscope and touchscreen interaction, while the
immersive version is played on a VR headset and supports interaction with
tracked controllers.
We conducted an evaluation with 45 users to contrast the two versions of the
serious game, measuring players’ performance and experience, usability, and sense
of presence. Moreover, to assess the effects on spatial memory, we compared
errors and execution times of a real-world task that tests spatial memory before
and after using the serious game.
Statistically significant differences between the two versions of the serious game
were found in the number of game levels completed (greater with the smartphone)
and in sense of presence (greater with the VR headset). After playing the serious
game, there was a statistically significant improvement in the performance of the
real-world spatial memory task regardless of the version used.
