‘We Have Another Technical Issue’: How Can VR be Used to Study the Affective Footing of Urban Encounters?

Abstract

This article explores the methodological potential and technical challenges of using scripted 360° videos, viewed with a virtual reality (VR) headset for immersive experience, in research on urban everyday life. More specifically, it contributes to ongoing debates about the role of affect in urban encounters and everyday coexistence. Bridging ethnography and experimental psychology through the use of VR, the article reflects on lessons learned from combining physiological measurements with experiential interviews to examine how diverse people affectively respond to urban encounters. Integrating experimental and experiential approaches has required extensive discussions and careful consideration of the limitations involved in creating immersive videos that are meaningful for both fields. The text discusses how scripted 360° videos can extend qualitative methods by offering controlled yet ecologically valid access to the affective dynamics of urban life. While our work demonstrates that immersive setups can provide rich, embodied insights into urban encounters and everyday life, significant limitations – particularly regarding movement and eye-tracking data in dynamic environments – remain. We argue that these constraints are not merely technical but shape how qualitative researchers interpret and engage with immersive technologies – and how the method of data collection might even affect the research focus. The article raises critical questions about the affordances and constraints of using VR in social scientific research characterised by complexity and advocates for a reflective, adaptive approach to technological integration.