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Abstract-The emergence of new digital tools supporting immersive and engaging learning through Virtual Reality is opening up new paths for both distance, but also classroom learning. In this article we discuss the virtual physics laboratory "Maroon" and discuss experiences with Maroon in a cost-effective mobile setup with a mobile VR experience through Samsung GEAR and compare it with a more interactive VR experience in room-scale VR with HTC Vive. We describe a comparative evaluation of these two setups in order to identify chances and challenges of both setups. First results indicate more flexibility and portability with the mobile setup, while the room-scale setup profits of a highly interactive and hands-on experience. We discuss and compare the two setups based on immersion, engagement, presence, and motivation. Keywords-virtual reality, immersion, physics education, engagement IntroductionSTEM education is still often received as a boring and not intuitive field and educators are challenged to find interesting and engaging ways to teach these concepts. In physics, interactive simulations and visualizations and virtual laboratories have been shown as promising methods to teach complex concepts and can enhance the understanding of these concepts [1] [3][8] by making unseen concepts visible, stretching time, and conduct dangerous or even impossible experiments [2] [13]. While understanding the concepts is crucial, current pedagogical models tend to involve many remote learning exercises. Such remote environments challenge the students to learn in a self-directed wa. Engagement and motivation are key elements of self-directed learning. Hence, the goal of digital and also blended learning experiences is to achieve student engagement, enthusiasm, and curiosity while teaching physical principles. Different authors have shown that immersive, playful, and interactive learning experiences in virtual laboratories or applications engage students more than compared to traditional methods [4]

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