Sports Visualization in the Wild: The Impact of Technical Factors on User Experience in Augmented Reality Sports Spectating

The maturity of augmented reality (AR) technology allows for expansion into real-world applications, including visualizations for on-site sports spectating. However, it is crucial to understand the factors influencing user experience in AR applications. To optimize user experience, we conducted a user study where participants adjusted parameters to determine noticeable and disruptive values of latency, registration accuracy, and jitter using a mobile indirect AR prototype that simulates a rugby stadium experience. Our findings indicate that latency has the highest disruptive impact on users' experience, with registration accuracy following closely. Furthermore, when noticeable latency, registration accuracy, and jitter were combined, the user experience was negatively affected in a nonlinear, combinatorial manner. This suggests that addressing factors individually is necessary but not enough for successful user experiences. By understanding these factors, developers can optimize AR experiences when creating immersive AR sports experiences and other large-scale AR applications to ensure maximum enjoyment for users.