Interaction with information and media

Figure 10.19: The Valve Steam game app store when viewed in the HTC Vive headset.

The content of the Internet can be brought into VR in numerous ways by following the universal simulation principle. Figure 1.8 from Section 1.2 showed a movie screen in a virtual movie theater. In this case, simple interaction may be needed to pause or change the movie. As a more complex example, a web browser could appear on a public display in the virtual world or on any other device that is familiar to users in the real world. Alternatively, a virtual screen may float directly in front of the user, while a stable, familiar background is provided; see Figure 10.19.

For decades, people have interacted with the their computers and web browsers using two input devices, one for typing and the other for pointing. In the case of a PC, this has taken the form of a keyboard and mouse. With modern smartphones, people are expected to type on small touch screens, or use alternatives such as voice or swipe-to-type. They use their fingers to point by touching, and additionally zoom with a pair of fingers.