2/4/2025 | 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM | Grand Peninsula B

On the effects of video game texture resolution on navigation performance

Author(s)

Nicko Caluya | Ritsumeikan University
Carlos Rhenell Koga | Ritsumeikan University
Damon Chandler | Ritsumeikan University

Abstract

2D textures presented side by side or in succession have served as a fundamental stimulus for visual discrimination, masking, appearance, and quality assessment studies. However, when viewed in context, textures rarely lie on a 2D plane; rather, they form part of a 3D scene. Furthermore, when the user can navigate within the 3D space, scales and perspectives can constantly change. Here, we explore how the perceived quality changes from 2D to 3D, and to what extent this quality relates to usability. Specifically, we adopted an interactive and 3D-based approach, motivated by observations in playability of video games. Although higher quality textures may convey higher realism, conflicts like additional latency in rendering and induction of potential visual distractions may lead to worse game performance. Thus, we conducted a preliminary study in which participants navigated a virtual room with floors consisting of textured tiles similar in appearance, with the objective of correctly walking a path by stepping on tiles of only the designated texture. Our results showed that participants significantly underperformed in the condition full of lower resolution tiles (64x64) versus the higher-resolution counterparts, in terms of incorrect tiles selected. The results and insights of this study inform our ongoing experiments that extend the idea towards other modalities (e.g., various game controls and mechanics) and display devices (e.g., VR headsets).