I'm absolutely loving getting into VR at the moment so after a week of messing about with Beat Saber and other little quest apps I picked up Half Life Alyx on sale but OMG after a couple of hours I felt so sick I had to stop playing. Has anyone else had this happen, is this just because I'm new to it or is there any tips to get over it, it won't put me off bit suddenly a 2 hour battery life doesn't seem to be an issue cause I doubt I could manage more than an hour and a bit at a time.
Motion Sickness
- Thread starter Cooners
- Start date
Yeah, VR sickness is different. You can't fight through it. It only makes it worse in the long term.
Next time you start to feel sick, stop immediately. Take off the headset and go do something else for a 30 minutes or at least until the nauseous feeling has completely passed.
Keep doing this, start to feel nauseous, stop playing. For most people it only take a few days for you to get used to it.
If you try to fight through it, your training your brain to accept that when you put on the headset you are going to get sick.
Next time you start to feel sick, stop immediately. Take off the headset and go do something else for a 30 minutes or at least until the nauseous feeling has completely passed.
Keep doing this, start to feel nauseous, stop playing. For most people it only take a few days for you to get used to it.
If you try to fight through it, your training your brain to accept that when you put on the headset you are going to get sick.
Associate
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2020
- Posts
- 66
I think the main issue is people stand stock still while moving in game. This confuses the subconscious mind, "Why are my legs not moving while i`m moving in this world?" You probably wouldn`t have an issue with Beat Sabre since you stand still in the game. Maybe try doing little leg or arm movements on the spot while moving ingame which will `fool` the mind into thinking all is well. Works for me especially in long walking/running games like Fallout4VR.
Soldato
I only really got this when my PC wasn't really up to the job. Make sure you are getting enough FPS, ideally around 90. But as already said, just stop and take a break.
a lot of it can be caused by poor frames. I know the psvr made me REALLY ill back in the day.
I can also vouch for walking/running on the spot like a goof method
It definitely helped me a bit in Saints and Sinners which has no teleport option
Associate
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2020
- Posts
- 66
I can also vouch for walking/running on the spot like a goof method
I noticed Pewdiepie does it when he`s in VR in one of his vids, so I tried it and it does work.
Soldato
I've always used the teleport option. However, I recently had a go in Rec Room (first time in ages, as a friend bought a Quest 2) and this was set up with motion...I noticed I didn't feel sick. I'd got that used to been in VR my head has "adjusted"...I've not finished Alyx, but when I do I'm going to play it again without teleport system as I think I can now handle it...(I'm loving it and stretching it out as long as I can!)
Bottom line, you'll get used to it...
Bottom line, you'll get used to it...
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2013
- Posts
- 12,308
Obviously there are many things that also must be done correctly at the Dev end in order to keep you from seeing breakfast again, but there are things you can do as well... like making sure you correctly configure your device.
AirCar is a very good example of two principles for gaming in VR...
1/. Look where you're going!
Few people in the world walk around while facing a different direction, and there's a good reason for that. Same as if you're in a car and try reading instead of looking out the window.
2/. Steady as she goes...
This is more about being light on the controller, really. First time I tried AirCar I almost threw up, as I hardly ever use a controller and the layout isn't what I'd consider intuitive. I'm more of a HOTAS user for flight stuff. So when you 'gently nudge' a stick and the car goes spinning off unexpectedly it is very vomit-inducing!!!
Associate
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2020
- Posts
- 66
Only game that surprised me by making me naseuos was Elite when I decided to do a barrel roll spin in my ship. Couldn`t believe it!
If you are using the teleport option then Alyx shouldn't really be making you sick in my opinion unless you are really sensitive.... So in that case I think it suggests there is something else wrong like bad frame rates or latency.
You are playing on the Quest I see from the 2hr battery life comment - is that via link cable or wifi? If the latter it would be well worth checking what latency you are getting as that could have a significant impact on nausea if your setup isn't on point. If the latency is ok, what frame rate are you getting? Try the 90hz mode if you can as 72hz may be contributing to the nausea. You could also download fpsVR which is useful for checking performance in VR games.
If you are using smooth locomotion then as others have said it's a question of building up tolerance which is achieved not by pushing through but by stopping early and building up to longer sessions. Also remember you can turn in real life, often more comfortable than yawing with the stick.
Anyway, whatever the cause it does go away for the majority of people. I never got nausea but I did get some really odd disconnected feelings especially with yawing in FPS games... now anything can happen, low frames, whatever and it has no effect on me. Keep going, but don't push through any sickness as it'll just end up worse.
You are playing on the Quest I see from the 2hr battery life comment - is that via link cable or wifi? If the latter it would be well worth checking what latency you are getting as that could have a significant impact on nausea if your setup isn't on point. If the latency is ok, what frame rate are you getting? Try the 90hz mode if you can as 72hz may be contributing to the nausea. You could also download fpsVR which is useful for checking performance in VR games.
If you are using smooth locomotion then as others have said it's a question of building up tolerance which is achieved not by pushing through but by stopping early and building up to longer sessions. Also remember you can turn in real life, often more comfortable than yawing with the stick.
Anyway, whatever the cause it does go away for the majority of people. I never got nausea but I did get some really odd disconnected feelings especially with yawing in FPS games... now anything can happen, low frames, whatever and it has no effect on me. Keep going, but don't push through any sickness as it'll just end up worse.
Last edited:
Associate
When I first got my Rift two years ago, I felt sick after less than 10 mins in nearly anything I tried. Over time, I found I could tolerate longer play time. Now, even with something like Dirt Rally 2, I can play all day if I want with absolutely no nausea. I think your brain learns the new experience of seeing movement but not actually feeling it isn't that you have been poisoned/causing disorientation and hence does not induce sickness.
It definitely passes, you just need some regular exposure, but as others have said, as soon as you start getting that sweaty feeling, take a break. I remember racing games were like... 20s tops before I had to lie down. Then after playing some games that weren't quite so challenging, I gave it a go and voila I was fine.
My partner has never played games, nor operated a computer. I got her an ipad and iphone and over the years shes gotten onto them.
Brought over the quest2 a few nights ago so she could see actually see what this "headset" thing i was talking about, was.
Fired up the best thing I could think of, "first steps".
She enjoyed the entire novelty of it, but after about 5 mins, she was feeling dodgy for the rest of the evening.
Brought over the quest2 a few nights ago so she could see actually see what this "headset" thing i was talking about, was.
Fired up the best thing I could think of, "first steps".
She enjoyed the entire novelty of it, but after about 5 mins, she was feeling dodgy for the rest of the evening.
My neighbour drove about 5 meters in project cars 2 and was wiped out literally for the whole day
My neighbour drove about 5 meters in project cars 2 and was wiped out literally for the whole day
Letting a newcomer to VR go driving!! You must not like your neighbour very much!!
Caporegime
My first smooth locomotion games were Raccoon Lagoon and Journey Of The Gods, both left me queasy for hours, but then I suffer from the reading in the car issue and can only do a few roller-coasters (irl) before wanting to hurl.
My smooth locomotion acclimatising game was the mod Doom 3: Fully Posessed. I felt a bit woozy playing it but that soon went away and now I can handle smooth movement pretty well.
Funnily enough I was playing In Death: Unchained the other day on Quest 2 and the free-loco bugged making it about five times as fast, and that did start to make me feel ill!
Funnily enough I was playing In Death: Unchained the other day on Quest 2 and the free-loco bugged making it about five times as fast, and that did start to make me feel ill!