Chapter 3: The Player's Immersive Experience (PIE) Model: Framing the Multidimensional Concept of Immersion in VR Video Games

Immersion is a primary objective in video game gameplay, utilising tropes and techniques from cinema, music, art, literature and ludology. VR video games are capable of enhancing immersion, offering a life-like sense of scale, embodiment, agency and presence. As VR becomes more accessible, these immersive capabilities demand a new framework to understand the multifaceted nature of immersion in VR. The Player's Immersive Experience (PIE) model addresses this need by accounting for the multidimensional experience of immersion in VR video games. This model expands on previous frameworks like Ermi and Mäyrä’s sensory, challenge-based and imaginative immersion (SCI) model and Calleja's Player Involvement Model, introducing eight dimensions: sensory, bodily, game feel, affective and empathetic, world-building, narrative, ludological and social immersive strategies. These dimensions, experienced collectively but not necessarily equally, provide a comprehensive understanding of how VR games immerse players. The chapter illustrates these strategies with examples from Blade & Sorcery, Boneworks and Half-Life: Alyx, which each illustrate a range of unique possibilities and contributions of VR to the gaming experience. By framing the immersive experience through the PIE model, this chapter offers a foundational framework for future studies on immersion in VR video games.