PSVR games and demos can cause varying degrees of motion sickness for some people, and it’s totally normal. Virtual reality headsets are a new way to play, so some bodies and brains may not be immediately ready to handle it. If you’re feeling dizzy, here are five simple tips to remember!
1) Consume Some Ginger: Believe it or not, ginger root has been regarded as an effective treatment for motion sickness for hundreds of years. That being said, when sitting down for some PSVR gaming, it might help to snack on some ginger snaps or drink ginger ale. Don’t go overboard, obviously, but consume just enough to take the edge off.
2) Calibrate Your Headset: Because PlayStation VR is so new, few people are experts at getting a perfect fit for visuals and comfort. The PS4 has a series of options to make sure everything is working, and they can be found in Settings > Devices > PlayStation VR. There, you’ll find six different ways to test every piece of the VR experience, from headset to camera
There are also a few options to mess around with in-game too. If the image starts to drift, which can make you feel sick, hold down Options to center everything again. If the display is blurry, hold down the DualShock’s PS button and select Adjust PlayStation VR > Adjust Headset Position. This will give you a breather from the nausea and provide a chance to move things around for a clearer image when resuming. For further instruction, check out our PSVR setup guide too!
3) Play A Different Game: Every PlayStation VR game or demo features a different experience, so that means some of them may make you less motion sick than others. Anecdotal tips suggest RIGS and Until Dawn: Rush Of Blood seem to be triggering dizziness problems a lot, so maybe try a more stationary concept like EVE: Valkyrie where the player is seated in a full cockpit. Games you can take more at your own pace, like Job Simulator or The Deep demo, might work better too.
The main cause of VR sickness is locomotion. Try to find games that keep locomotion to a minimum. That means staying away from titles that feature stuff like roller coasters or elevators. We have a list of the hardware’s best and worst games to help you out!
4) Gradual Exposure: As we said before, PlayStation VR is a totally new way to play games. It might take some getting used to. If you’re feeling really sick with VR now, make sure your sessions are short and that you don’t push yourself to the point of throwing up. That helps nobody.
Start with sessions only a few minutes long, take a 15-minute break, then dive in again. If you start feeling comfortable, slowly add more time to each spurt. It’s worth remembering that gamers also complained about motion sickness when 3D graphics first went mainstream. Not only did developers get better at finding ways to reduce sickness, but players also adjusted through exposure.
5) Stay As Stationary As Possible: PSVR games strive to be incredibly immersive with head movement, motion controls and all kinds of wacky ideas. That being said, doing all of that physical activity may make motion sickness worse.
When possible, it might be best to play games seated and only move your head when absolutely necessary. This limits locomotion effects and also gives your body less to handle. The physical aspects of VR can come later. Starting stationary might be worthwhile for some.
PSVR is available now to fairly positive reviews. It requires a PS4 as well as a PlayStation Camera.
Do you ever get motion sickness while playing PlayStation VR? What tips do you have to solve it? Tell us in the comments section!
