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Locomotion in VR: UX Design and Research

Designing seamless locomotion is no longer optional in virtual reality—it’s essential. Whether you’re exploring fantastical worlds or building interactive experiences, how users move through virtual environments directly impacts their comfort, control, and creativity. Let’s dive into what locomotion means in VR and how Minsar helps creators navigate with ease.

Why Locomotion Matters in Virtual Reality

VR’s magic lies in its ability to unleash creativity in an immersive, interactive 3D space—accessible straight from your living room. From video games to exploration apps, locomotion has become a key component of user experience design.

To put it plainly: it’s impossible to build a compelling VR experience today without thoughtful locomotion mechanics.

So how can creators like you move freely and naturally in a digital space? Let’s take a closer look.

A Closer Look at Locomotion Techniques

A 2020 literature review identified 22 distinct VR locomotion methods across 26 academic studies from 2012 to 2019. These techniques fall into two broad categories:

1. Physical (Body-Centered) Locomotion

These methods rely on the user’s real-world movements, aiming to enhance immersion by matching physical and virtual motion.

Example – Walking in Place (WIP)
WIP allows users to simulate walking while remaining stationary. Introduced in the late 1990s, it’s one of the earliest immersive techniques and remains popular for short-range navigation.

2. Artificial (Peripheral-Based) Locomotion

These rely on external input devices to simulate movement, prioritizing efficiency and speed—ideal for covering long distances in large virtual spaces.

Example – Teleportation
Teleporting involves pointing to a spot in the virtual world and instantly “jumping” to that location. It’s widely used and recommended (by Oculus, Unity, etc.) for its simplicity and minimal motion sickness.

How Do We Evaluate VR Locomotion?

Researchers evaluate locomotion techniques using multiple criteria:

Health & Comfort

  • Motion Sickness (Cybersickness): Physical discomfort caused by sensory mismatches.
  • Fatigue: Eye strain or physical tiredness during extended use.
  • Collision Anxiety: The fear of hitting real-world objects while navigating in VR.

Control & Precision

  • Control Accuracy: The ability to precisely position oneself in the virtual world.
  • Ease of Use: How intuitive and user-friendly the technique feels.
  • Spatial Awareness: The ability to orient oneself and navigate effectively.

Interaction & Immersion

  • Presence: The sensation of truly “being” inside the virtual space.
  • Scalability: How well the technique supports large environments.
  • Interactivity: Whether it complements or interferes with virtual interactions.

There’s No One-Size-Fits-All

Each locomotion method has strengths and trade-offs depending on the context:

  • Body-based locomotion (like WIP) is immersive but can be tiring and lead to motion sickness or risk of collision.
  • Artificial locomotion (like teleportation) is fast and effective for task completion but can feel less immersive.
  • Joystick navigation offers good control but may require a learning curve and can cause visual discomfort if not implemented well.

In other words: the ideal technique depends entirely on the goals of your VR experience.

How Minsar Studio Makes Movement Simple

At Minsar Studio, we’ve designed locomotion with creators in mind—focusing on comfort, accuracy, and ease to keep your creative flow uninterrupted.

Movement Features in Minsar:

  • Teleportation – Inspired by tools like Tilt Brush, our teleport system helps you move around quickly and stress-free.
  • Snap Rotation – Instantly rotate 45° if you can’t turn physically in your setup.
  • Drag to Move – Get closer to your scene or adjust your position with natural dragging gestures.
  • Zoom and Rotate – Hold both grips to zoom in, rotate, or change your scene’s orientation with precision.

Each tool is designed to support smooth and intuitive creation in 3D space.