Advancements in Virtual Reality Technology: A Systematic Review of User Experience and Application Trends

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of virtual reality (VR) technology from a developer’s perspective, focusing on trends over the past two decades, device usage, content scenario requirements, the effectiveness of the user experience, and the impact on learning outcomes. The primary source of information was English articles downloaded from databases such as Web of Science for the period 2003-2023. Thirty-seven articles were selected for in-depth analysis after initial screening and detailed evaluation. The findings show that VR technology is gradually shifting toward personalized learning, with headset devices becoming standard and content scenes evolving from simple illustrations to highly detailed 3D models. In addition, user experience evaluations revealed that the majority of participants were positive about VR technology, although some noted usability challenges or shortcomings. This study offers valuable theoretical foundations and practical guidance for developers, helping them to improve the design, effectiveness, and user experience of VR systems, thus contributing to the further development of the technology.

Received: 12 September 2024 | Revised: 28 March 2025 | Accepted: 22 April 2025

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Author Contribution Statement

Wenli Shang: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization. Kazlova Alena: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration.