Table 8 Themes resulting from the thematic analysis of primary end users’ data

Healthy older adults (RZM)

1

Healthy older adults enjoyed the exergames and felt comfortable immersing themselves in the exercises. They desired a further increase in difficulty, a variety of games and greater physical and mental challenges

2

They desired clear instructions, goals, feedback, and progress tracking in exergames to help them achieve their fitness goals. They also expressed interest in benchmarking and comparing their performance with other users, as it would positively impact their motivation

3

They found the technical implementation of ExerG games to be successful. They suggested audiovisually enhanced daily-life games with real-time system responses

4

They often had a negative perception of the game safety system, feeling restricted and distracted. However, during play, the safety system tended to recede into the background as users focussed on the game

Patients (RHF)

1

The patients (primary end users with geriatric and neurological conditions) in RHF reported high intrinsic motivation and welcomed the opportunity to train in a playful new environment

2

They enjoyed the mini-games and appreciated the combination of physical and cognitive challenges. A multitude of suggestions for further development were made including visual aspects and a need for more variety

3

More possibilities to be able to customise the experience and adapt the level of difficulty to each patient’s condition were requested

4

The harness system provided a feeling of security, although it restricted movements and reduced their speed