The one can effortlessly walk around in virtual reality, while the other seems to get motion sick at the slightest movement. What can you do against motion sickness in virtual reality?
Our brains can get confused by unnatural movements. If your eyes see something different from what your body feels, it can lead to you feeling nauseous. That is precisely what is difficult about virtual reality, because you always see a completely different virtual environment moving around than where your body is. In a racing game, for example, it seems as if you are in a moving car, while your body is sitting still in a room.
There is no single way to combat such motion sickness, but there are a few tricks that can help reduce it.
Tip 1: Take small steps
Feeling comfortable in virtual reality takes time. The first time you will be sick after a short walk through a virtual world, after which you will be better able to handle it during later sessions. You have to find your sea legs.
Therefore, try not to do too much during your first play session. Play a game where you don’t have to move much or where you are in a vehicle. Your brain will suffer less from that. Avoid games where you have to climb stairs, because they can quickly make an inexperienced VR player nauseous.
You can’t fight your way through motion sickness by trying more intensive things. If you notice that you are feeling sick, stop for a while and wait until it has subsided.
Tip 2: Look for settings against VR sickness
Many VR apps and games have settings that help against nausea. For example, you can set the camera to move without animation, where the image rotates by, for example, 45 degrees in one go. You can also often exchange the motion control for a teleportation system, which you are generally less likely to get nauseous from.
Some recent titles even have the option to activate a virtual nose. This shows you a small fake nose in the place where your real one is. Research shows that this reduces nausea complaints in some people.
Tip 3: Point a fan at yourself
Some VR players notice that they become less nauseous if a fan is pointed at them. That is a trick that is often used for motion sickness: the wind from the fan gives you a sense of direction that you are missing in the virtual world.
If it doesn’t work, the fan can at least offer comfort in VR. After all, motion sickness not only makes you nauseous, but also hot and sweaty.
Tip 4: Remedies for motion sickness
Virtual reality is of course not the first thing that can make you motion sick. For decades there have been complaints about car sickness, seasickness and air sickness. Over the years, many remedies have also been devised for this with varying results. Some people notice that they become less nauseous when drinking, for example, ginger tea.