Some people feel dizzy while in virtual experiences, or simply put together, they get VR motion sickness. It’s a few symptoms that one feels as they enter the virtual world. These symptoms could be intense or mild, depending on the experience.
In this blog post, we will explore what VR motion sickness is, what causes it, and how you can reduce it and enjoy your favorite virtual games.
What is Motion Sickness in VR?
VR motion sickness happens when your brain receives conflicting signals about the movement in your environment, and your body’s relation to it. It means that when you’re standing still but the virtual world around you moves, it disturbs your brain’s equilibrium and causes you to feel nauseous.
Along with nausea and dizziness, some people may also experience headaches, sweating, tiredness, eye strain, and a mild loss of balance. However, you may not experience any symptoms at all until after leaving the virtual world.
Other factors can also affect how VR motion sickness affects you. For instance, women are more susceptible than men to nausea in VR. Similarly, age may also be a factor with adults aged over 50 being more susceptible than younger users.
What Causes VR Motion Sickness?
There are several factors that cause motion sickness in VR to occur. If we know these factors, we can take steps to minimize it from happening.
Here are 5 factors that influence VR motion sickness:
1. Type of VR Headset
The type of headset and tracking plays a major role in whether someone will experience motion sickness in VR. For instance, there are two types of tracking: 3DoF and 6DoF.
3DoF headsets didn’t allow users to move enough. You could look up, down, and to the sides in 360-degrees. Such headsets are good for static 360-degree videos and images. However, you cannot move around without feeling disoriented.
On the other hand, 6DoF or spatial tracking can solve this problem. Headsets with 6DoF tracking allow users to move freely within a virtual space. Meanwhile, the virtual environment adjusts to the user’s movements accordingly.
Since the environment now adjusts to the movements, it minimizes those conflicting signals being sent to your brain that cause motion sickness. Thus, reducing the feeling of disorientation and provides you with a better sense of presence.
2. Latency
Latency is the time it takes for your movements to register in the virtual world. If the latency is high and the display gets the signal too late, your body movements don’t match with what you’re seeing or hearing. This confuses your brain’s equilibrium.
Due to this, latency is one of the biggest factors that contribute to VR motion sickness. At minimum, most people are comfortable with the 13 millisecond delay created by 90Hz display panels.
There are now headsets available that offer faster displays, allowing users to adjust between 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz. Hence, headsets with low-to-zero latency help reduce motion sickness.
3. Type of Controller
Another factor that influences VR motion sickness is the type of controller you use. Think of it like this: You’re in a virtual world and when you look down, you don’t see your hands as you’d normally expect.
It would create a sensory conflict and disorientation. Controllers let you move and see your hands in the virtual world. Hence, making the experience more realistic.
4. Eye Movement
In virtual reality, the eyes must move differently than normal to stabilize the image in VR on the retina. But with our natural eye movement, the virtual environment looks different than expected.
It creates a conflict in what the brain expects and what it actually sees. Thus, when you adjust your eye motion to view in VR, it feels unfamiliar and leads to motion sicknes
5. Postural Instability
Experts believe that postural instability also contributes to motion sickness. In simple words, we fall sick in environments where our balance isn’t stable enough. This feels very true to VR experiences.
Take an example of yourself moving on a virtual roller coaster. In the real world, you would naturally lean forward as the roller coaster moves. However, in VR, your body doesn’t move forward in the same way as it would on a real rollercoaster.
In such a situation, the body has to find its balance, causing postural instability and motion sickness. The intensity of the sick feeling can depend on the time exposed to the instability and the experience’s magnitude. As your body gains balance, the feeling then gradually goes down.
How to Minimize VR Motion Sickness?
Now that you know the factors that contribute to VR motion sickness, it’s easier to minimize it. Here are several ways you can enjoy your virtual experiences fully.
1. Sit Down
In a sitting position, you naturally restrict your body’s movements. Thus, using VR while sitting down minimizes the risk of feeling disoriented by your real-life and virtual movements. In addition, it helps with your postural stability — something crucial if you’re new to virtual reality.
2. Use a Fan
Symptoms such as sweating, or feeling warm are common in VR motion sickness. To reduce them, always use VR in a cool environment. Open the windows or use a fan while in virtual reality. Staying in a cool space will also reduce any other symptoms of motion sickness.
3. Choose the Right Headset
If you’re generally prone to motion sickness, it’s ideal to find a headset that can reduce the risk of motion sickness. Choose headsets with 6DoF tracking and high resolution, such as Meta Quest 3.
In addition, if you notice any latency or glitches, it’s better to stay away from using the headset. When movements are glitching, it can be very disorienting for the body.
You may also read: – How To Choose The Right VR Controller: A Guide
4. Lower Headset Brightness
A new, immersive experience can cause a sensory overload for your body. In such cases, it’s best to lower the headset’s brightness to reduce the sensory input. Thus, helping your brain’s equilibrium adjust more easily to it.
5. Adjust the Headset
If your headset doesn’t fit well, all the experiences you’ll be viewing will come through an unfocused lens. It can make it hard for your brain to understand what it is seeing and experiencing. Thus, causing extreme disorientation.
Make sure that the headset fits firmly on your head. Adjust the lenses to have a clear view before entering into a virtual experience. If you wear glasses, insert a spacer so that you can wear your glasses in VR.
6. Control your Breathing
Start off with slow experiences where your body knows what comes next. This will ensure that your brain’s equilibrium stays balanced. If you feel nervous in VR, you may be holding your breath subconsciously. So, breathe as you do normally.
Does VR Motion Sickness Go Away?
Just like with other forms of motion sickness, your body will gradually adapt to VR. As you become more familiar with virtual experiences, the brain will get used to the sensory input. Over time, you won’t experience VR motion sickness anymore.
You can try gradually increasing the time spent in time, such as 10 minutes for a couple of days. Then, increase it to 15 minutes, 20 minutes, and so on. Build your tolerance across a few weeks and the VR motion sickness should go away.
Conclusion
VR motion sickness cannot be avoided completely, especially if you’re new to virtual reality. It’s also one of the barriers to adoption of the technology. According to VR app and game developers, about 25% people may experience motion sickness in VR.
While the technology is still new and developing, motion sickness cannot be avoided. However, you can take steps to minimize it, such as taking breaks. In the future, as people adapt to VR, the technology may also become advanced enough.
