Western project finds viewing sports in VR trumps 2D screen experience

Professor Paul Frewen demonstrates the VR technology at Western Alumni Hall. (Steven Anderson) A simple 360-degree camera set-up and VR technology could revolutionize sports viewing, study suggests By Prabhjot Sohal , By Prabhjot Sohal , March 14, 2023 With fans gearing up for NCAA March Madness basketball, Western researchers say you may soon be able to grab a VR headset and cheer on your team from wherever you are, experiencing the excitement as if you were courtside. The findings of the new project show that with a simple 360-degree camera set-up at centre court, viewers preferred watching livestreams of sports via virtual reality technology (3D) over regular 2D screens because it 'teleported' viewers to the live sporting action and made them feel as if they were experiencing the game in real-time.   "Using VR, your eyes become the eyes of the camera. You can watch sports from the comfort of your own home, but feel as if you're sitting in the stands with thousands of other fans," said Paul Frewen, professor of psychology and psychiatry in the Faculty of Social Science and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Professor Paul Frewen (left) and Andrew Vincent (Steven Anderson) The project - Being where, when, and with whom it happens: Presence in VR and live streaming of collegiate sports at Western - was led by Frewen and Andrew Vincent, an undergraduate student in the department of psychology. The project sought to assess the experience of spatial, temporal and interpersonal presence while viewing Western Mustangs volleyball and basketball games in virtual reality (3D) versus standard tablet format.