Image inversion is a powerful tool for investigating cognitive mechanisms of visual
perception. However, studies have mainly used inversion in paradigms presented on twodimensional
computer screens. It remains open whether disruptive effects of inversion also
hold true in more naturalistic scenarios. In our study, we used scene inversion in virtual
reality in combination with eye tracking to investigate the mechanisms of repeated visual
search through three-dimensional immersive indoor scenes. Scene inversion affected all gaze
and head measures except fixation durations and saccade amplitudes. Our behavioral results,
surprisingly, did not entirely follow as hypothesized: While search efficiency dropped
significantly in inverted scenes, participants did not utilize more memory as measured by
search time slopes. This indicates that despite the disruption, participants did not try to
compensate the increased difficulty by using more memory. Our study highlights the
importance of investigating classical experimental paradigms in more naturalistic scenarios
to advance research on daily human behavior.