Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets offer great new possibilities for the creation of 3D games and virtual reality environments. However, interaction with objects in these virtual worlds is often difficult – for example due to the devices’ small form factor. In this paper, we define different 3D visualization concepts and evaluate related interactions such as navigation and selection of objects. Detailed experiments with a smartphone and a tablet illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the various 3D visualization concepts. Our results provide new insight with respect to interaction and highlight important aspects for the design of interactive virtual environments on mobile devices and related applications – especially for mobile 3D gaming. Categories and Subject Descriptors I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and techniques – interaction techniques. General Terms Design, Experimentation, Human Factors. Keywords Mobile 3D graphics, sensor input, virtual re...