Subtle Cues for Navigation in Virtual Reality: How to Effectively Guide Users in VR?

Scene exploration in virtual reality (VR) supports spatial understanding and navigation but can be cognitively demanding without physical reference points. Subtle “micro-guidance” cues—minimalistic visual, auditory, and tactile signals—may aid navigation without breaking immersion. This study tested their effectiveness in a custom VR environment where 198 participants searched for a hidden anchor while flying over an island. Six conditions were compared: no cue, light intensity, sand vortex, spatial white noise, sonar, and haptic compass. Several cue types (light, sonar, haptic compass) significantly improved target-finding accuracy over no cue, while others showed no statistical difference. Sonar, haptic compass, and light cues also reduced task completion times, though performance varied across users. Findings suggest that certain subtle cues can enhance navigation, but effectiveness depends on modality and user perception. Results support the design of personalized, multisensory navigation aids that balance guidance with user autonomy in VR.