XRFlux: Virtual Reality Benchmark for Edge Caching Systems

Abstract: We introduce a Unity based benchmark XRFlux for evaluating Virtual Reality (VR) delivery systems using edge-cloud caching. As VR applications and systems progress, the need to meet strict latency and Quality of Experience (QoE) requirements is increasingly evident. In the context of VR, traditional cloud architectures (e.g., remote AWS S3 for content delivery) often struggle to meet these demands, especially for users of the same application in different locations. With edge computing, resources are brought closer to users in efforts to reduce latency and improve QoEs. However, VR's dynamic nature, with changing fields of view (FoVs) and user synchronization requirements, creates various challenges for edge caching. We address the lack of suitable benchmarks and propose a framework that simulates multiuser VR scenarios while logging users' interaction with objects within their actual and predicted FoVs. The benchmark's activity log can then be played back through an edge cache to assess the resulting QoEs. This tool fills a gap by supporting research in the optimization of edge caching (and other edge-cloud functions) for VR streaming.