Comparative effects of virtual reality and traditional videogames on adolescents’ sport intentions and perceived skill requirement

Youth sport engagement brings substantial physical, mental, and social benefits, therefore establishing interventions which increase this are of profound importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of playing a virtual reality (VR) sports-game and a sports videogame on adolescents’ intentions and perceived skill requirement (PSR) towards the respective sport of each game. Across three sport-specific designs (baseball, golf, tennis), 54 adolescents (aged 13–15) were randomly assigned to play a 20-min VR sports-game, a traditional sports videogame, or a non-sport VR control game. Intentions and PSR towards the sport depicted in each game were measured via questionnaires at baseline, post-test, and four-month retention. Linear mixed models revealed that intentions towards baseball and tennis were significantly improved after playing the VR game, with this effect maintained at retention for tennis. Intentions towards golf were significantly improved after playing the videogame but were not maintained at retention. Neither the VR nor videogame influenced adolescents’ PSR towards the respective sports. We discuss how the sport-specific differences found suggest that the effectiveness of each digital intervention may depend on how well the sport’s features align with the strengths of the technology. Overall, despite limited effects on PSR, the results underscore the pedagogical value of integrating VR and videogame interventions into physical education settings.