Abstract:

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has rapidly evolved since the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and is primarily utilized within the gaming industry. In 2023, the global game market recorded a revenue of 17.9 billion USD (approximately KRW 24.5 trillion) and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 13.1%. With the recent release of head-mounted display (HMD) devices such as Apple Vision and Meta Quest 3S by major tech companies, attention toward VR utilization has been renewed.

In particular, EduGames have garnered increasing interest for their ability to combine entertainment and education. These games encourage enjoyable learning experiences and foster immersive concentration, ultimately achieving targeted educational outcomes. EduGames, as an extended concept of gamification, integrate VR technology to enhance engagement by presenting learning content in game-based formats. This approach has been shown to significantly support learner immersion and motivation.

VR game users are typically categorized into heavy users and light users. Among these, heavy users—those who consume a large amount of content and exhibit frequent usage—warrant closer analysis. This group is often critical in activating digital contents, and their sustained participation requires ongoing engagement strategies and user experience management.

This study utilized longitudinal data from the Game User Survey (2016–2022) to identify key factors that influence perceived satisfaction among heavy users of VR games. The research aimed to uncover behavioral indicators that could support VR game design and educational applications.

The empirical results show that VR game usage time significantly influenced continued usage intention, immersion, personal innovativeness, and perceived cost, all at a statistically significant level (p < 0.05). Furthermore, content consumption volume also had significant effects on continued usage intention, immersion, and perceived cost (p < 0.05).

These findings suggest that perceived satisfaction in VR gaming is a key factor driving deeper engagement. Users who invest time and financial resources into VR games tend to demonstrate higher levels of continued intention to use, immersion, and perceived innovativeness, along with increased tolerance for cost. While these conclusions may appear intuitive, the strength of this research lies in its empirical analysis using multi-year user data.

The results provide foundational insights into VR game design strategies that can be adapted to K-12 educational contexts, where immersive and interactive content is increasingly emphasized. However, limitations of the study include the lack of consideration for demographic variables such as age and gender, which could affect VR game behavior and preferences. These limitations highlight the need for follow-up research with more granular user segmentation and broader analytical models.

In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of VR game user behavior, particularly in relation to user engagement and satisfaction. It also offers implications for the integration of VR gaming within educational frameworks, paving the way for future developments in immersive learning environments. Continued exploration of various VR usage patterns and their educational applications is strongly encouraged.

Keywords:

VR, Game, K-12, Education, Immersion, Heavy User, Satisfaction