"XR Is A Game": Exploring People’s Reasons for Using, Limiting, and Abandoning Extended Reality

Extended reality (XR) has the potential to improve the quality of human life and provide immersive experiences in real-time. However, despite a growing body of research focused on XR use, there is insufficient knowledge as to why many people become XR non-users. In this paper, we examine the reasons people use, limit, and abandon XR technology in their daily lives. We conducted eight focus groups of (n = 56, 14.4%) participants from the (n = 387) early respondents mainly volunteers from Saudi Arabia. The study attempts to answer the following research questions: (R.Q.1) Could the study conducted in Saudi Arabia potentially reveal specific cultural and socioeconomic factors associated with the adoption and use of XR? (R.Q.2) Why do people limit and abandon XR? (R.Q.3) What are the potential individual and community-level benefits that people associate with XR in the future? The findings of this study help us to understand the reasons why people are unable to use XR technology and provide valuable information on how this technology can improve quality of life in the future.