Toggle (also known as toggle switch) is a user-interface component that allows users to update their preferences and settings. These switches should be clearly labeled, utilize standard visual design, and deliver immediate results.

In software, a toggle is an on/off command, much like the caps lock or num lock keys on a keyboard. It’s also the same behavior that is found in options menus on most applications. In the context of virtual reality, toggles are what allow users to change the attributes and behaviors of objects and scenes.

The most basic toggle functionality can be compared to the on/off dynamics of a light switch or an automated door system. Toggle scripts, in the form of triggers, listen for key input from users. If the key matches one of the trigger’s defined list(s) of controls, then a toggle script will execute and the associated object will switch to its new state (see Fig. 4, left).

A toggle can be linked to multiple triggers and each of these can have their own unique control number. This makes it possible to run multivariate or A/B testing with a single toggle script – sending each cohort of users down one code path over another.

Toggle is a toolkit that can be used to support a wide range of experimental designs. Experimenters can use it to create custom scripts that alter the behavior of their VR environments. They can then log this behavior for later statistical analysis. The toggle functionality is especially useful for enabling experiments on human performance and psychodiagnostics.