7 Things You Can Do to Overcome VR Motion Sickness

Editor's note:

With so many new people getting VR headsets this holiday season, we thought it would be helpful to repost this list from 2017 focused on ways to overcome VR motion sickness. If you experience severe effects, the best thing to do is to remove the headset and stop immediately, but there are other steps to take that might help you get used to the immersive realm more quickly.

also added a paragraph towards the end about alternative input methods that might help.

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Motion sickness: It's far from the flashiest aspect of virtual reality, but it's a real problem for some people when they put on a headset and enter a virtual world.

occurs when your eyes tell your brain that you are moving through a VR environment, but your body feels like you are sitting in a chair or standing still. If you are prone to the problem, these conflicting inputs make you feel miserable. Specifically, you might experience sensations such as nausea, dizziness, headache, sweating, excessive salivation, or all of the above. Worse still, these symptoms can linger for hours after removing the headset and dialing together.

Even if you've experienced motion sickness in VR before, don't give up hope just yet. Virtual reality-induced motion sickness can be alleviated and even completely overcome. We have already reviewed

some tips developers can use to limit reactions

here

, so we've included some tips specifically for consumers below. . The next time you run into trouble, try a few.

baby steps

Let's say you had a bad experience playing a virtual reality game. You tried it, and the moment you started moving around the virtual world, your stomach lurched and your head started spinning. You may not be keen on venturing into virtual reality again, but if you give up now, you'll be missing out on some truly amazing experiences. It's actually possible to overcome VR motion sickness without using any crazy tricks at all. You can do this simply by taking it easy.

If a game gives you nausea, start by limiting your gaming sessions to a few minutes at a time. When you start to feel uncomfortable, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and pause briefly before trying again. If you gradually increase the time you spend in these games, chances are you will overcome the discomfort in just a few days. Before long, you'll be navigating fantasy worlds like a pro. For many people, getting their "VR legs" just takes patience and practice.

Ask someone to tell you everything will be alright

This sounds weird, but at least

a study

suggests that it is rooted in scientific fact. According to the report, you may be able to overcome motion sickness in virtual reality simply by asking someone to tell you that you'll be fine. The study focused on sea cadets who, before boarding their assigned ship, were told they were unlikely to suffer from seasickness, regardless of whether it was true.

As a result, cadets who received this "verbal placebo" experienced seasickness at a lower rate than cadets who did not. Assuming the results are accurate, this method might help anyone worried about motion sickness in VR before trying. Now you just have to overcome your anxiety about asking someone such a weird favor.

Eat ginger in advance

That thin, slippery topping that accompanies your sushi isn't just to cleanse your palate. According to

some studies

, it is also good for kneecap nausea before it starts. If you

eat ginger

—or take a ginger supplement—an hour or two before putting on a VR headset, you can reduce your chances of wasting your lunch. Whether it works for you or not, it's as good an excuse as any to make quick additions or changes to your diet.

Aim a fan on yourself

Another potential VR motion sickness remedy that may seem odd is having a fan blowing in your direction while you play. It's unclear why a cool breeze on your skin makes you less likely to vomit, but many nausea-prone internet users have reported that it actually stops the discomfort before it starts. If you've got a fan handy and you've struggled in a VR game, why not give it a shot? At the very least, it might help keep you from sweating too much inside the helmet.

Take Dramamine

If you've ever gotten seasick on a boat or got dizzy while reading a car, chances are someone has recommended you take

Dramamine

. Dramamine is an antiemetic drug that you can use to reduce the symptoms you may experience from motion sickness, which includes the VR-induced variety.

Dramamine comes in many forms, from standard pills to chewable tablets, and under several brand names. There's even one that's designed to provide 24-hour nausea protection, which would be great for anyone who likes to blast their way through games.

Wear a wristband

If you're looking for a potential solution that doesn't involve taking medication,

Sea Bands

might be the right choice. The Sea-Bands (and

other similar products

) are bracelets that apply acupuncture pressure to what is called the Nei-Kuan point on your wrist. The result, for many people, is a reduced susceptibility to motion sickness. Like some other potential solutions on this list, Sea-Bands are primarily marketed to travelers, but VR users have reported working in virtual worlds as well. You can buy Sea-Bands and other similar products online or at most pharmacies.

Marijuana

If you live in an area where marijuana is legal and you are old enough to use it, you may find the solution to VR motion sickness in herbal medicine. After all, one of the main applications of medical marijuana is to

reduce nausea

. It's not for everyone, but if it works, it works.

Alternatively, you can try something like

hemp oil

who is known to have similar nausea - related benefits.

Depending on what game you're playing on which headset, there may be other movement methods you can try to help alleviate the issue. To put it simply, adding more physics to your experience can help solve the problem.

For example, if you jog in place and move around the room while playing, this will likely help your mind feel like you. are moving into the world of gaming. Likewise, software solutions such as

VRocker

and

Natural Locomotion

can also be beneficial.

On the hardware side, there are things like

cybershoes

that allow you to sit up and swing your feet,

3DRudder

that makes you tip your feet, and Virtuix is ​​known for its Omni range of

VR treadmills

which do a great job of avoiding motion sickness - with a hefty price tag.< /p>

Now the bad news: None of these potential fixes may help you feel better about motion-rich VR experiences. If none of them work for you, your best option is to simply avoid playing games that cause motion sickness. Racing games, flying games, and games that let you move freely to explore virtual worlds are good to avoid if you're susceptible to VR motion sickness.

On the plus side, that leaves many VR experiences as fair game. If you only focus on games and apps where your viewpoint remains locked, or only allows you to move around in room-wide movement or teleportation, you'll probably do just fine.