Designing Accessible VR Shopping for VIPs: Insights from “Virtual Showdown”

In this blog, we will discuss a recent study by Wedoff et al.[1] that introduces Virtual Showdown, a VR adaptation of the “Showdown” ball game which employs spatialized 3D audio, verbal guidance, and vibration cues as primary interaction channels. Their work provides a blueprint for designing truly accessible VR experiences, which we can now leverage to create a VR shopping environment tailored for VIPs.

• Making Sound the Star

  In traditional VR, visuals dominate. In Virtual Showdown, however, sound takes center stage. Players hear a tone that shifts in pitch and volume as the ball moves around them. Louder, higher-pitched sounds indicate that the ball is getting closer, while echoes and early reflections help convey direction and distance. Head tracking ensures that as a player turns, the soundscape updates in real time, just like in the real world.

  How this applies to accessible VR shopping:

  • Unique audio signatures: Assign each product category its own sound. For example, a sharp knife cutting through a firm texture for apples, and A light granular sound mimicking cereal pieces tumbling into a bowl for cereal boxes.

  • Spatial cues: Use volume changes and echo effects to show how far away an item is. As shoppers turn their heads or move their controllers, the sounds should shift naturally to guide them through aisles.

    
    

• Guiding Hands and Minds

  The Virtual Showdown study tested two assistance modes:

  • Verbal guidance: Before each round, a voice announces where the ball will appear (“The ball will come to your left”). During play, it offers real-time hints (“Move a bit to the right”).

  • Verbal + vibration: These same spoken hints are paired with controller vibrations that grow stronger as the player’s hand draws near the ball’s impact point.

  Interestingly, pure verbal guidance produced the highest scores, likely because it imposes less cognitive load, while many participants still valued the subtle vibration feedback for precise aiming.

  How this applies to shopping:

  • Onboarding tutorial: Start with a brief voice-led tour that names aisles and highlights product locations.

  • Optional haptic cues: Allow shoppers to turn on gentle vibrations when their hand gets close to a shelf item, giving an extra layer of confidence before picking it up.

    
    

• Embracing Natural Body Interaction

  Instead of using button presses, Virtual Showdown lets users swing the bat by simply moving their real arm. When the session begins, the system measures where users are standing and lines up the virtual table edge to match their real one. As users move, it tracks their wrist and fingertip positions to determine exactly how they’re swinging. To keep the virtual swing looking smooth, the system gently rounds off tiny jitters by snapping each hand’s angle to a few preset positions.

  How this applies to shopping:

  • Reach calibration: Measure each shopper’s comfortable reach zone and align virtual shelves and carts to that space.

  • Controller-free gestures: Where possible, support pinch-and-lift gestures so VIPs can grab and inspect items as naturally as they would in a real store.

    
    

• Building on Real User Feedback

  Authors tested Virtual Showdown with 34 VIP youths (ages 8–20) and found overwhelming enthusiasm: 33 of 34 wanted to play again. Participants adapted a variety of swing styles and holding techniques, demonstrating that flexible interaction options are key to success.

  How this applies to shopping:

  • Familiar metaphors: Borrow real-world shopping actions, like tapping on an item to pick it up or swiping to push a cart.

  • Flexible inputs: Offer multiple ways to interact: buttons, hand tracking, or voice commands so each VIP can choose the method that feels most intuitive.

  
  

  Bringing It All Together

  By following the Virtual Showdown approach, where audio guides, optional haptic support, and natural body tracking come together, we can build a VR shopping mall that truly includes VIPs. Key steps include:

  1. Spatial audio design to help VIPs locate products.

  2. Clear verbal instructions with optional vibration hints.

  3. Customized interaction zones that respect individual reach and comfort.

  4. Multiple input methods to match personal preferences.

  5. Iterative testing with VIP users to refine and perfect the experience.

  With these principles in hand, developers can create VR shopping environments that empower VIP, letting them browse, select, and purchase items independently and with confidence.

Reference

1. Wedoff, R., Ball, L., Wang, A., Khoo, Y.X., Lieberman, L. and Rector, K., 2019, May. Virtual showdown: An accessible virtual reality game with scaffolds for youth with visual impairments. In Proceedings of the 2019 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1-15).