Is a real environment better than a VR one? The differences of the effects of Colour and spatial size on preference evaluation between real and VR indoor environments

A virtual reality (VR) built environment may be sustainable, as it can adapt its appearance to people’s changing preferences, enhancing living standards without significant costs. However, is a VR environment comparable to or inferior to a real one in terms of visual perception? The differences between real and VR indoor environments represent a crucial and emerging issue that requires investigation. As color and spatial size significantly influence comfort, this study conducted an experiment using VR and real environments of two spatial sizes, each with nine colors. The study examined the effects of color, size, and spatial properties (reality and virtuality) on visual perception through a preference survey and Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results indicated that color had similar effects on preference in both VR and real indoor environments. Spatial size significantly influenced preference in four colored VR environments (p < 0.05), but had no effect in real environments. Spatial property significantly affected preference in more than half of all colored environments (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that VR technology may enhance the visual perception of spatial color and size. This study presents new perspectives on improving indoor environments through virtual technologies.