VR has a habit of causing people to feel sick or dizzy while playing. While it's an outstanding platform, even PlayStation VR can cause nausea, which can be a real bummer. However, there are a few things you can do to help curb feeling sick while gaming, and we've got the details below.
Why does it happen?
Nausea or dizziness in VR is caused by your brain getting confused at what is going on. Essentially, it panics because it knows you aren't actually moving when you're watching something that is moving. When it panics, you may start to feel queasy or you might start to sway in place.
Not everybody is affected by this. For other folks, only certain games or experiences will trigger the feelings of nausea. If you're just getting started in VR, start out with an easier experience so that you can gauge where your tolerance is at. Every person is a bit different, so knowing how your body reacts to VR is a good call.
Sit down
Some games are meant to be played standing up, but many games on PlayStation VR can be played sitting down. If you find yourself particularly sensitive, sitting down while you play can be of some serious help.
If you tend to stay in place when your brain gets confused, playing while sitting down is definitely your safer option. Thankfully, many of the PlayStation VR games that are available support having you play while sitting down. Certain games like Batman: Arkham VR can feel weird if you're sitting down while playing, but it can make a serious impact on becoming dizzy or feeling sick.
Don't play through the pain
If you start to feel off or dizzy, it may be time to take a short break from VR. This rule also applies if you have a cold, an ear infection, or an eye infection. That's because the inner ear is linked to motion sickness in VR, so if things are already out of whack, playing with PlayStation VR may only exacerbate the problem.
Motion sickness has also been shown to crop up more if you are playing while too tired. What this translates to is listening to what your body is telling you. If you're exhausted or sick, you're more likely to make it worse by playing VR. Instead, take breaks when you need them so that you can make the most out of your time in VR.
This also means that if a game is offering you a place to take a break for a few minutes, you should probably do it. You don't need to stop playing, of course, just take your headset off, grab a drink of water and rest your eyes for five minutes or so. Then you can jump back in and continue to enjoy yourself!
If the experience is laggy or jumpy turn it off
Motion sickness in VR has been shown to be much worse and much more common if you are dealing with a less than stellar picture. Choppy or jumpy images, lag, and frame-rate drops all contribute to feeling dizzy or nauseous. If you start to have this issue on PlayStation VR, your best bet is to turn it off and restart the game or app. If that doesn't help out, you may need to close the application for a while or give your console a break for a few minutes.
If your console is running particularly loudly, you may also want to consider unplugging it and cleaning it out. Running PlayStation VR requires your console to be working properly, and if your vents are all clogged with dust, you're gonna have a bad time.
Use a fan
Many folks who frequently get carsick can tell you that fresh, flowing, cool air can make a serious difference. While you won't be able to feel it as acutely while wearing your head-mounted display, it can make a difference. You can pull this off by setting up a standing oscillating fan and pointing it in your general direction. By ensuring that you are getting fresh airflow, you can help to ensure that you keep nausea as far away as you possibly can.
If you're already dealing with space constraints for VR, you can get a small floor model. These can be pointed in your general direction while tucked out of the way of foot traffic or accidental collisions while you are in VR. You can pick up a decent fan for less than $20.
Questions?
Have you had issues with feeling sick or dizzy while playing PlayStation VR? Is there a fix that we missed? Be sure to drop into the comments below, or head to our forums and check it out!
Updated April, 2018: We've updated our methods to help you avoid getting sick while playing VR!
