The Influence of Personalized Music on Sense of Presence, Motivation, and Player Experience in Virtual Reality.

The sense of presence, characterized by the feeling of “being there,” plays a crucial role in virtual reality (VR) to enhance involvement and engagement. While previous studies have examined the effects of sound or music on presence by manipulating auditory cues, little research has explored the effects of personalized music within virtual environments. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the influence of personalized music on the sense of presence, motivation, player performance, time perception, and cybersickness. In a within-subjects design, 21 participants engaged in a VR strategy game under three randomized conditions: hearing (1) sound effects only without background music, (2) the original game music , and (3) personalized music , individually chosen by each participant. The results reveal that personalized music significantly contributes to a higher sense of presence compared to the condition with sound effects only , however with no significant difference between both music conditions. The results further show that participants are significantly more motivated when exposed to personalized music compared to the original game music . These findings provide valuable insights into how personalized music, synchronized with the gameplay elements, can enhance the sense of presence, motivation, and overall player experience within VR environments. Further investigations are necessary to examine the specific effects of personalized music within different VR games.