Comparing Spatial Interaction Modalities for 2 D-Widgets in Productivity Applications in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality applications often rely on standard 2D widgets such as buttons and sliders, but each application presents them differently. We identify a two-axis design space for 2D widgets in VR: the widget placement can be world-, view-, or hand-stabilized, and the input mechanism can be mouse, raycast, touch, or gaze. We also include a table-stabilized placement which puts widgets in the 2D plane of the user’s physical desk, enabling passive-haptic feedback via touch input. We conduct a study with six representative modalities: table touch, hand touch, world raycast, world touch, world mouse, and world gaze. Results for button selection and slider manipulation show that hand touch, table touch, and world raycast are most successful, while users prefer table touch and hand touch. A subsequent qualitative pilot study of digital artists using table touch and hand touch for 2D drawing finds that table touch is perceived as more precise, but user preference varies with ergonomic factors.