For anyone who has the ability to use virtual reality without making you feel unwell and nauseous, there are often still limits to how long you can use one of these headsets for. For wireless devices, like the Quest family, this could be in relation to battery life, but for all systems the issue of having a some-what weighty gadget strapped to your face for a long period of time also means that VR sessions typically aren't as extensive as other device usage periods.
Meta, creator of the Quest family, has now published a developer blog post that discusses how long studios should assume users are wearing a VR headset for at a time. It's actually quite a limited portion of time, as the so-called "Goldilocks zone", the area where users have a balance of comfort and entertainment, is claimed to be around 20 and 40 minutes in duration.
Anything longer might lead to users quitting in the middle of something or playing past their comfort zones, or if it's the shorter end of the spectrum it may be down to users simply not being engaged well enough.
Meta explains: "In general, we recommend building VR games that are optimized for the 20-40 minute "Goldilocks" zone so users don't need to choose between "quitting in the middle of something" or pushing themselves past their comfort levels. If you're building experiences that don't fit neatly into 20-40 minute sessions, we advise front-loading rewards and objectives while allowing users more control over their sessions with ideal points to drop in, leave and resume their session."
The blog post does also feature a wealth of tips about building a VR experience that slots into the Goldilocks zone, including by delivering on core expectations within the first 20 minutes, focusing on shorter loops, building in regular opportunities to take breaks, and more.
Do you agree with Meta or do you find yourself using more or less VR each session?