Virtual Reality QA Testing: What to Test and Why?

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been the essence of fantasy for a long time. Remember the big headsets and large, snaking connector cords of the 1980s? But it’s becoming more prevalent and available in today’s market – just think of the rampant success of Pokémon GO, the mobile AR game. Organizations are starting to explore how VR/AR can help build a more attractive, immersive product for their consumers.

With this exploration comes lots of innovative development and QA testing tasks. And as this technology quickly accelerates in advancements, it’s more crucial for QA teams to understand how to test virtual reality applications and build efficient augmented reality test cases.

VR/AR may still be a comparatively new frontier, but that’s not holding back top providers from developing efficient QA testing procedures in order to VR test software and test VR app products. We rested down with some of our top AR VR testing engineers to evaluate what kinds of augmented reality and virtual reality test methods are required for VR/AR products and why.

What Is VR/AR?

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are often referenced collectively in discussions but are not the same thing. Their acronyms are alike, and their similarities only grow with the continuation of technological improvements. That being said, VR and AR are yet two differing thoughts.

In virtual reality, users are totally engaged in a computer-generated reality. By wearing a head-mounted display or a VR headset, a user goes among virtual objects on the screen. Some VR technologies depend on a smartphone connection, such as Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR, while others like the Oculus Go are standalone VR headsets.

Gaming and entertainment were pioneering adopters of VR, which has since expanded across industries including the military, education, healthcare, business, engineering, and construction.

In augmented reality, technology covers digital information in the real world. Augmented reality does not present a  fully immersive virtual experience but rather presents digital improvements upon the real world with images, text, and other virtual data. AR can be encountered through devices such as Smart lenses, AR glasses, and heads-up displays as well as smartphones and tablets. Beyond entertainment, organizations within the aviation, automotive, healthcare, retail, and travel industries have already included AR solutions.

Common Virtual Reality QA Challenges

QA teams can’t approach the augmented reality and virtual reality test method in the same way as additional software applications. The platforms needed for both AR and VR experiences need a totally different method to successfully AR and VR test software systems.

Here are the challenges QA teams can assume to find when AR VR testing.

Time Restrictions

VR testing can usually leave testers feeling motion sickness, vision impairment, and headaches. Thirty minutes is the suggested time frame to use AR or VR devices, which can build a backlog of tests. QA testers may consume more time recording augmented reality and virtual reality defects and less time testing the experience of the product. Moreover, AR and VR QA testers must be supervised throughout testing to prevent damages within the testing group, which can restrict when the testing can take place.

Testing Too Late

QA teams often don’t have access to test VR software or examine augmented reality test cases till the product is well underway in development. This points to catching augmented reality defects and virtual reality defects late in the development cycle. Without early QA testing, developers have less time to fix problems and QA testers have even less time to verify fixes disposed to the test environment.

Multiple Testing Platforms

To efficiently test VR software and AR applications, a multi-level analysis over multiple output streams is needed. In other terms, a QA tester must go beyond one stage of testing during AR and VR testing for precise results. Testing must incorporate:

• Testing the actual AR VR experience on both the device and desktop environment
• Evaluating tester conversation and body language through testing
• Accumulating physiological data about the tester, as apprehended by the wearable device or test supervisor observation

Here’s How to Test Virtual Reality Applications

With all of these testing challenges to keep in mind, what’s the best method on how to test virtual reality applications and augmented reality software? Our top QA testing engineers suggest advancing the augmented reality and virtual reality test method with a systematic approach that constantly keeps the holistic picture of the product in mind.

Consider adding these methods to your AR VR QA process:

User Specifications and Experience Testing

Before any testing starts, QA engineers sit down to examine the VR/AR product’s scope requirements. After familiarizing themselves with the terms, they provide a storyboard of potential use cases. This helps the engineers know all of the potential scenarios for user engagement. The exercise presents a holistic aspect of the product – far more accurate than a simple review of what wireframes can present.

The purpose of VR is full immersion for the user. Even the tiniest of virtual reality defects can create a hang-up in the user’s experience, so accurate virtual reality QA testing and strong augmented reality test cases are significant. AR apps add virtual objects or overlays to the real world, and any defect here can zap the product of its impact.

Real Device Testing

VR and AR often depend on specific hardware. The only method to assure the proper function of these products is to test utilizing the devices placed in the requirements. These might involve the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive, both of which relate to personal computers for an effectively immersive VR experience. Other hardware, like the Samsung Gear or Google Daydream, operates with the user’s smartphone to build a more mobile VR experience. 

Accessibility Testing

Using VR and AR products can appear with severe physical consequences. Headaches, motion sickness, eye strain, seizures, and other bodily harm are some of the worst-case situations that testers require to be on the lookout for. Though full immersion is the purpose, it’s also essential to define the discomfort of the user as much as possible – and, by extension, restrict the liability of the company creating the product.

Compatibility Testing

Rigorous compatibility testing helps assure that product teams do not encounter any surprises when they go to market. Compatibility testing your app helps estimate the performance of the app when obtained by devices with lower system terms, or on a device that it hasn’t been optimized for. It can also support catch dangerous non-functional problems, such as device overheating.

Also Read: EdTech Software Trends And Things To Focus On While Testing

Conclusion

VR is one of the most interesting technological improvements at our disposal and we should forever be fascinated and charmed by what it can be able of! However, VR will only continue to be successful if the required testing methods are exercised, with a particular emphasis on QA and user experience.

Not sure if your team can handle VR testing alone? Choose to partner with a QA services provider like TestUnity. Our experienced QA engineers are skilled in all types of manual testing and automation testing. With our team of performance testing experts, your business can accurately test your AR or VR software product and stay on schedule for launch to market. Get in touch with a TestUnity expert today.

TestUnity

Testunity is a SaaS-based technology platform driven by a vast community of testers & QAs spread around the world, powered by technology & testing experts to create the dedicated testing hub. Which is capable of providing almost all kind of testing services for almost all the platforms exists in software word.