A review of emotional design in extended reality for the preservation of culture heritage

Abstract In recent years, extended reality (XR) technology has revolutionized the cultural heritage sector by enhancing visual and spatial experiences, while evoking emotional responses that deepen users’ engagement with historical narratives. However, research on leveraging emotional interactions in XR to improve the preservation and transmission of intangible cultural heritage remains limited. By conducting a comprehensive literature review, researchers can systematically collect, analyse, and organize existing research, helping to identify key issues, gaps, or trends in this complex field. This review analysed 60 relevant studies to investigate the current applications of XR in the cultural heritage sector. A thematic analysis was conducted to examine how emotional interactions are facilitated through immersive XR experiences. Additionally, potential design methods to improve emotional interaction were explored. The findings reveal that, compared to augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) has received less attention. Current technologies primarily focus on presenting tangible cultural heritage, including historical buildings and museum collections. Regarding emotional stimulation, most research utilizes interface-driven stimulation, such as visual design elements, highlighting an imbalance in the study of emotional interaction. There is limited exploration of long-term emotional engagement with users. Finally, this review suggests that incorporating gamification and emotional design into XR can significantly benefit the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. This study enhances our understanding of how emotional interaction can facilitate and sustain the transmission of intangible cultural heritage.