Understanding the co-dependence of cursor warping and boundary switching in XR workspaces

Chen, Yuzheng (2026) Understanding the co-dependence of cursor warping and boundary switching in XR workspaces. Masters thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Extended reality (XR) enables flexible, multi-display workspaces without the need for physical monitors, yet extensive pointer travel between displays can compromise both ergonomics and productivity. To address this challenge, we evaluated five cursor warping techniques and their interaction with Boundary Switching—a counter-rotation method that shifts displays opposite to head yaw to reduce neck strain. The techniques initialize the pointer at different locations when moving between displays: (1) at the display’s center, (2) at the last-known cursor position on the target display, (3) at the same relative position as on the previous display, (4) at the user’s first gaze fixation within the target display, and (5) projected into world space as is typical for desktop environments. In a within-subjects study (N=20), participants selected cued targets across five horizontally arranged virtual displays. Without Boundary Switching, center, last-known, and relative-position warping proved reliable defaults. With Boundary Switching enabled, gaze-based warping significantly outperformed all alternatives, while world-space warping consistently underperformed. Our findings highlight how display motion changes pointer initialization strategies and inform design guidelines for ergonomic and efficient multi-display interfaces in immersive workspaces.