PC Builder Hero: An Immersive Computer Building Workshop Experience in Virtual Reality

In this paper, we describe PC Builder Hero, an immersive virtual reality (VR) game, which takes the user through building a custom personal computer (PC) from scratch. The main motivation is to raise awareness and inspire curiosity about the inner components and working mechanisms of computers in a safe environment where mistakes aren't costly. We aim to teach users how to build a PC experientially with a hands-on game, leveraging the immersiveness of VR. The user picks virtual computer components and monitors the price of the built computer and the accumulated static over time. The user's goal is to find a balance between the specifications of the components and the overall price, while complying with the proper handling procedures of building a PC. This paper includes the design and implementation details of the high-fidelity prototype along with the results and implications of an informal early testing.