Beyond Translation: Culturally Adaptive User Interfaces (CAUI) in Social VR

Abstract

Most Virtual Reality (VR) interfaces facilitate global social interaction, but the design of user interfaces remains dominated by Western semiotics and interaction patterns. The focus on linguistic translation often neglects the language of embodied interaction, gestural affordances, and high-context versus low -context information hierarchies. This paper argues that universal interfaces in social VR create cognitive friction and unintended social conflict through misinterpreted avatar behaviours. Using CAUI as the design framework, the authors employ a Research through Design (RtD) methodology to investigate the impact of cultural sensitivity and representation on user engagement within VR gaming. The study uses focus group participants from Mumbai and Delhi NCR, to demonstrate how CAUI, incorporating vernacular semiotics, create culturally responsive design to predict user acceptance and emotional immersion. This study  thus offers a roadmap for developers to create globally inclusive virtual spaces through respectful, context-appropriate integration.