As someone who has personally experienced the queasy aftermath of virtual reality firsthand, lemme tell you it’s no picnic. For me it was worse than smoking too strong of a cigar, but not as bad as being in rough waters on a fishing boat with a bucket of squid in your face. Somewhere between there. But luckily Ben Lewis-Evans over at Gamasutra has a handy guide instructing players on how to keep simulation sickness at bay. Here are a few pointers:
Be young: If you happen to be young, then good news! You’re more resistant to simulation sickness.
Looks like I’m screwed there.
Play in a well ventilated, temperature regulated, safe space: Most of the symptoms of simulation sickness are aggravated by poor air and uncomfortable temperatures (particularly heat).
So, best move your VR helms from your battle-stations.
Play when healthy: If you are feeling sick already, hungover, or particularly drunk/on certain drugs then jumping into a VR experience may not be the way to go.
That one’s for you, Clayton.
Focus on stable objects on the horizon: Assuming they have been provided it can be helpful if you start to feel sick that you focus on a stable object near the horizon in the game.
And if all else fails…
Try again: For most people repeated exposure to a VR experience will reduce or remove simulator sickness.
You can check out the complete list here.
