Key Takeaways
Do not prank your friends in VR, as it may cause motion sickness. Adjust your VR settings to prevent discomfort. Take a break and choose a thrilling game with a compelling storyline.
Modern VR is amazing, and there are some fantastic VR games out there, but feeling motion sickness while wearing the headset remains one of the most common complaints, especially among newer players. I’ve experienced it myself, and after feeling an unwanted bout of motion sickness, I think I know how to avoid it.
Don’t scare my friends
When people open their new VR headset, they’re likely dying to prank their friends and family. You’ve probably seen TikTok or YouTube videos of goofy dads trying out VR and running into walls or TVs. You’ve seen coworkers pushing their friends who are afraid of heights on roller coasters, or teenagers convincing their siblings or friends to try out games known for jump scares.
If you want to avoid feeling sick while wearing a VR headset, start by making sure it doesn’t cause you any discomfort.
Adjust your VR settings to reduce motion sickness
Regular video games can make some people feel motion sick, so it’s no surprise that VR can make them feel even more nauseous. VR hardware and software developers know this, and offer a number of settings to make VR more comfortable.
First, make sure your headset is set up properly. For example, your IPD (interpupillary distance) must be accurate. The focal distance from your eyes to the lenses must be accurate, primarily by adjusting the headset to fit your face. If you must wear glasses, consider purchasing special prescription lenses for your VR headset.
Limiting your field of view can help reduce motion sickness. Games that involve joystick movement are more likely to cause motion sickness, especially those games that are more likely to have these options in their game settings.
Changing settings can be as simple as adding a helmet to a flight simulator; in other games, it can reduce peripheral vision by fading the edges of your field of vision to black.
Don’t be a hero
If you start to feel sick, stop. Even people who are prone to motion sickness can build up a tolerance to VR gaming. The key is to increase the amount of time you can play in VR without getting sick. Taking a break before the onset of motion sickness can help delay the onset of motion sickness in your next session. Your goal should always be to take breaks at least every 15 minutes and avoid long periods in VR where discomfort becomes excessive.
How to choose a thrilling game that won’t make you drunk
My youngest son is a thrill seeker and the biggest VR fan in our house. His favorite VR game on the Meta Quest 3 is Epic Roller Coasters. He’s tried every coaster that comes with it at least once and even purchased the four add-ons that add over 20 more coasters.
I learned why rollercoasters give players a thrill of fear, and why they make you want to take your headset off for a while. This particular game has a helmet option to reduce motion sickness, as well as extended blinds for gamers who need more protection, but I didn’t use either.
Whether it’s a flight simulator or a roller coaster, during a VR game, my son is constantly looking around and seeing everything. The more there is to see, the more he likes VR. One of the best things about VR is total immersion, but Daredevil roller coasters don’t take advantage of that. It’s fun to spin the loop the first few times, and it’s fun to get your friends to try it out, but it’s not a good demonstration of what VR is capable of. The novelty wears off quickly, and it gets boring after a few rides.
VR environments can be thrilling in their own right
The trick is to increase the intensity without using loops. It turns out that speed has nothing to do with intensity. Some high-speed roller coasters are fun, thrilling, or intense, while others are not. Whether in flight simulators or roller coaster games, speed doesn’t seem to affect the intensity or thrills. It’s the story and the challenge that increase the thrill.
One of our favorite coasters at Epic Roller Coasters is the dinosaur ride. At first, you silently glide past a grazing Ankylosaurus and a few Parasaurolophus. Soon you’re in the middle of a flock of attacking raptors, but they run away when a T.rex appears. As the coaster picks up speed (after your car gets caught by a pterosaur), you encounter the T.rex again. This action story is what makes this coaster a favorite.
The Spongebob DLC for Epic Roller Coasters is more for kids than adults, but each ride has its own little storyline that keeps it interesting and immersive. There’s so much going on that my son notices something different every time he goes on it, and I’m sure he will! Armageddon is another favorite, with a focus on good old-fashioned zombie scares, and a mysterious gas-powered anti-zombie vehicle to help us out behind the scenes.
Adding Skill Challenges
Another way to avoid feeling sick after chasing plankton or fleeing zombies is to take advantage of the in-game skill challenges: By focusing on your goal, you’re less likely to think about turning upside down. At the very least, it helps you focus your eyes in a specific spot. This is a trick dancers use to avoid motion sickness when they spin.
My son loves the shooter mode. He only uses the noisy machine gun, but there are many others, including a bubble shooter and a simple pistol. In shooter mode, the tracks are the same, but some of the story elements are removed and targets are placed all over the track. Shoot the targets as you move and earn points. There is no winning or losing, just a score at the end. Your best score for each track is saved. Try to beat your own score or your friends’ scores.
VR rides and rollercoasters offer gamers a lot more fun than yelling “Yay!” over and over until you get sick. These are rides you can enjoy over and over again. Adjusting your expectations for these games can help you get excited without spilling.
