Degrees of freedom (DoF) in VR refers to the number of independent axes of motion that a VR headset or controller can detect and respond to. It is a way to measure the level of freedom and immersion of a VR system.
There are six degrees of freedom in VR:
- Pitch: the ability to rotate the device around the horizontal axis (up and down)
- Yaw: the ability to rotate the device around the vertical axis (left and right)
- Roll: the ability to tilt the device around its longitudinal axis (tilting the head to the side)
- X-axis: the ability to move the device left and right
- Y-axis: the ability to move the device up and down
- Z-axis: the ability to move the device forward and backward
A VR system with 6 degrees of freedom allows the user to move freely and naturally in the virtual environment, making the experience more immersive and realistic.
Some VR systems may have limited degrees of freedom, such as 3 degrees of freedom (3DoF) which only track rotational movement and not positional movement, resulting in a less immersive experience.