Hand-tracking enables controller-free XR interaction but does not have the tactile feedback controllers provide. Rather than treating this solely as a missing-sensation problem, we explore whether pseudo-haptic cues on an embodied virtual hand act as tactile or as affect substitutes that shape how interactions feel. We used a mixed reality prototype that keeps the contacted surface visually neutral, rendering cues on the hand with motion modulation for texture, color glow, and movement-coupled sound. In a within-subjects study (n=12), participants experienced 12 conditions (4 effects x 3 modalities: audio, visual, both) and reported subjective affect and cognitive demand. Participants rarely reported sustained tactile, thermal sensations, yet affect shifted systematically: rough-hot lowered valence increasing arousal, while smooth-cold produced calmer pleasant states. These findings suggest that pseudo-haptics in XR may be better understood as an affective feedback channel rather than a direct replacement for physical touch in controller-free systems.

翻译：手部追踪技术实现了无需控制器的扩展现实交互，但无法提供控制器所具有的触觉反馈。我们并未将此单纯视为一种感官缺失问题，而是探究在具身虚拟手上呈现的伪触觉线索，究竟是作为触觉替代，还是作为情感替代来塑造交互的感知体验。我们采用了一个混合现实原型系统，该系统保持接触表面的视觉中性，仅通过运动调制在虚拟手上呈现纹理、色彩辉光及运动耦合声音等线索。在一项被试内研究（n=12）中，参与者体验了12种条件（4种效果 × 3种模态：听觉、视觉、视听结合），并报告了主观情感状态与认知负荷。参与者很少报告持续的触觉或温度感知，但其情感状态发生了系统性变化：粗糙-热感降低了愉悦度并提高了唤醒度，而平滑-冷感则引发了更为平静愉悦的状态。这些发现表明，在扩展现实中，伪触觉或许更适宜被理解为一种情感反馈通道，而非无控制器系统中物理触觉的直接替代品。