Fatigue? Nausea and headache? These 3 symptoms have something in common —symptoms felt during or after a VR session.
We understand Virtual reality is the future. But not everyone shares that sentiment. For some people, the use of virtual reality is a nightmare.
The fatigue induced by VR can especially be strong for first-time users. The VR headset can leave your head spinning. In addition, it causes nausea and dizziness —feeling as if you would fall.
Even if you’ve been a dedicated and long-term user of VR devices, you are not immune to fatigue and dizziness associated with VR.
It is well documented that VR devices can cause eye pain and eye strain. But there are ways to protect yourself from eye fatigue.
Virtual reality offers immersion like no other. It is immersive and addictive. But VR has some dark sides. One of the major problems VR users have to deal with is fatigue.
Fatigue that comes with VR use has been a thorn in the flesh for VR companies. What causes fatigue in VR is not far-fetched.
If VR companies could find a solution to motion sickness associated with VR, then the fatigue associated with virtual reality will be minimal or gone in total.
The goal of this article is to help you to prevent or reduce VR fatigue to the bare minimum. We’ll offer practical tips on how to prevent fatigue in VR.
CONTENTS:
- Why virtual reality headsets can make you sick
- VR headsets & eye strain
- How to avoid eye fatigue in VR
- What influences VR fatigue and motion sickness
- Practical ways to minimize VR fatigue and motion sickness
- Virtual reality health & safety usage guide
- 3 accessories that help with VR fatigue
- 5 exciting uses for virtual reality
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Why virtual reality headsets can make you sick
Feeling nauseous and seasick is common to VR users. In some patients, they report feeling headache, and eye pain.
Studies have shown that the use of VR headsets has great effects on our eyes. The sickening feeling we all have after the use of VR has been termed vergence-accommodation conflict.
What is convergence? Convergence is when both eyes focus on an image to prevent double vision.
Accommodation is what your eyes do to prevent an image from looking blurry. It simply brings objects that are already closer to the eye into sharp focus.
For us to see things in our immediate environment clearly, these two processes are synced together in the brain. They must both work together for us to focus on objects at various distances.
A VR headset is designed to alter or get around the sync between these two processes. With a VR headset, you have to accommodate one distance and converge at another distance.
The willful attempt to break this coupling causes all sorts of discomfort for users of VR headsets. If you are used to watching 3D movies, you’d better understand this phenomenon.
For now, VR fatigue is the price we have to pay to immerse ourselves in this awesome technology.
VR experts have been trying to find a way around the vergence-accommodation conflict. For now, all they do is not to move characters too fast in and out of the screen.
VR headsets & eye strain
According to research, about 40%-70% feel nauseated and dizzy when using VR headsets. The general discomfort virtual reality users deal with manifests as motion sickness.
Apart from motion sickness, eye strain and eye pain are two common problems associated with the use of VR headsets.
The cause of eye strain otherwise known as eye fatigue is caused when users concentrate on the image they see.
When you focus on an image when wearing a VR headset, what causes eye strain is that your brain tricks you’re concentrating on an image. When in fact, you are concentrating on a pixelated screen.
Most VR headsets available for sale in the market do not completely solve the optical problems associated with VR use.
In simple terms, the current generation of VR headsets asks —the brain and the eye to process an array of information in a way that does not come naturally.
As you know, it’s natural for the human body to react to any process or thing that comes against its normal way of functioning.
When using a VR headset and your eyes feel fatigued, it is a good indication you need to take a break from VR.
How to avoid eye fatigue in VR
If you are a devoted VR user, you’re prone to having eye fatigue. This can be prevented by applying the following good practices:
- Blink frequently when using a VR headset.
- Adjust the display so the projected won’t be too bright or too dull.
- Take frequent intermittent breaks
- Gently massage the temporal region of your head when the headset is off.
Despite all the practices above, if your eye fatigue persists, consult your health care provider for further advice and information.
What influences VR fatigue and motion sickness
There are many reasons VR fatigue and motion sickness occurs while using VR gadgets. Let’s examine the several factors that influence fatigue and motion sickness:
Headset type
Your VR headset plays a key role in determining whether you will experience fatigue and motion sickness.
Apart from the headset type, the type of tracking it uses also determines to a large extent if you will be fatigued after a VR session.
The first generation of VR headsets employs the use of 3-degrees of freedom tracking (3DoF). This type of tracking enables the user to look up, down, and to the sides in 360-degrees.
If you have a headset with this type of motion tracking, this type of motion tracking is not recommended for users to move in a 3D space. They are quite good for viewing static 360-degree videos and images.
On the other hand, if your VR headset is built with 6-degrees of freedom tracking (6DoF) otherwise called spatial tracking. It reduces the feeling of disorientation. It gives users greater freedom of movement.
In a nutshell, VR headsets that employ the use of 6a DoF tracking system reduces fatigue and motion sickness.
Controller type
The use and type of controller influence motion sickness in VR. Some years back, only a few high-end headsets were equipped with controllers.
VR controllers serve as our hands in the virtual world. Having a good pair of controllers minimize the disorientation experienced when using a VR headset.
Latency
Latency is one of virtual reality’s biggest problems. Latency is the duration of time it takes for movement to register in-app.
Latency is one of the chief culprits of fatigue and motion sickness. It’s easy to understand why latency causes motion sickness.
Disorientation occurs when your real body movements do not correspond to what you’re hearing and seeing. The brain recognizes that something is not quite right. Prolonged disorientation leads to fatigue and motion sickness.
Researchers spent years researching the overall impacts of latency on VR experiences. They were able to discover that most people are comfortable with the 13 milliseconds delay created by a 90Hz display.
Recently there are more headsets with reduced latency. For example, the Valve Index allows its users to choose between 80Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz.
We are confident that very soon, more headsets will be produced with low latency. The lower the latency, the minimal the motion sickness and fatigue experienced.
Eye movement
Another factor to put into consideration is eye movement. Fatigue can occur due to strange eye motion that is required to keep the virtual space stable on the retina.
The problem arises when the virtual space moves in an entirely different manner from what the eye expects. So there’s a discrepancy in what the brain expects the eye to see and what it sees.
When a person puts on a headset, the eyes need to do extra work to stabilize the image on the retina. This process triggers eye fatigue and motion sickness.
Postural instability
Postural instability is another factor that contributes to postural instability. Maintaining proper posture is key to not experiencing fatigue or motion sickness during VR sessions.
VR offers a new kind of experience which humans are not used to. We tend to become sick when struggling to maintain our balance.
A very good example is seasickness. This happens after being on the sea for so long. Seasickness happens because the body is trying to achieve a balance.
We tend to move our bodies forward when playing a sort of adventure game in VR. It may seem as if we’ve moved our bodies too in real life.
You may be surprised to know that the body hasn’t moved forward in the same way as it would in real life. This challenge increases fatigue and motion sickness.
Practical ways to minimize VR fatigue and motion sickness
We’ve discussed the factors that influence VR fatigue and motion sickness. Knowing about something is entirely different from knowing how to tackle it.
The following highlights the practical ways to minimize fatigue and motion sickness:
1. Find a place to sit
One good way to reduce motion sickness and fatigue in VR is to sit down comfortably in a chair.
Sitting down is an effective way of minimizing disorientation while using a VR headset.
By sitting down you restrict the body’s natural movements. When this is done, you achieve postural stability. Postural stability is especially important for a rookie in VR.
2. Ensure proper ventilation
One of the signs of VR fatigue is a slight increase in body temperature and sweating.
To minimize fatigue, open the windows for proper ventilation. Using VR gadgets in a poorly ventilated area is a bad choice.
Moreover, proper ventilation cools down the VR user. It leads to proper air circulation. All these help with VR fatigue and motion sickness.
3. Stop VR use if there’s significant latency
When using VR and you notice a significant latency, a good idea is to restart the VR headset. After doing this and the issue persists, stop using the VR headset.
Even seasoned VR users experience fatigue and motion sickness when there are glitches or erratic movements.
4. Choose the right headset
Choosing the right kind of headset is crucial for minimizing motion sickness and fatigue associated with VR.
This is especially true for those that are prone to motion sickness or vertigo. A good example of a headset to choose from is the HTC Vive (6DoF).
New generation headsets have been designed to minimize latency. The discomfort or disorientation felt is reduced with a good headset.
With a good headset, when you move any part of your body in VR, the virtual space moves with you.
5. Reduce headset brightness
Having a new kind of immersive experience leads to sensory overload at times. This is quite common with VR.
To reduce this sensory overload, reducing the brightness of your headset goes a long way in reducing fatigue and motion sickness.
6. Adjust the headset to fit
There is a high likelihood of VR fatigue if your headset doesn’t fit well on your head. Immersive experience would be greatly reduced.
The above situation happens due to viewing images through unfocused lenses. When viewing images through unfocused lenses, disorientation is bound to occur.
When a headset is not properly fitted on the head, it takes a toll on the brain. The brain has to work harder to interpret what I see.
Before starting a VR session, ensure the lenses are properly focused. Be sure you have a clear image before starting to VR.
If you wear prescription lenses, some headsets come with spacers. Make sure you wear the spacer so it can be comfortable for you to use the VR headset.
7. Ear infection? Don’t use VR
Ear infection causes the body’s sense of balance and equilibrium to be negatively affected.
Since there is an internal infection the body is dealing with, choosing to use VR at this moment is simply a wrong choice.
Using VR with an ear infection would aggravate the pain and balance loss. Using virtual reality at this time will simply give the body extra work to get oriented.
Consult your medical professional to get more information about how an ear infection could affect VR use.
8. Start with short sessions and control your breathing
To get fully adapted to playing VR games, it is often encouraged to start small. Starting small would give your body time to adapt to the new immersive experience.
For example, adjusting to the weather in a new country might be difficult. But slowly you get adapted to it. The same can be said of virtual reality. As your body gets familiar with VR, fatigue and motion sickness reduce over time.
You may increase the time spent on VR by 7 minutes every two days. Slowly increase the time over a week.
After this, you can start aiming to use VR gadgets for 10 minutes at a stretch. In summary, increase the time slowly over the next few weeks.
If you incorporate this, fatigue and motion sickness will be greatly reduced or even completely prevented.
9. Take Ginger
Ginger is a natural ingredient that is known to Ginger effectively reduces nausea, tachy-gastric activity, and vasopressin release induced by circular vection.
In this manner, ginger may act as a novel agent in the prevention and treatment of motion sickness.
Ginger can be taken in many forms. It can be taken in the form of supplements, teas, or chews.
10. Omnidirectional treadmill
If you have an unlimited budget for a VR headset, you might consider getting an omnidirectional treadmill instead of getting the regular head-mounted display.
An omnidirectional treadmill offers a natural walking and running experience which might be able to trick your brain into thinking that it is in sync with what the eyes see.
Motion sickness is triggered especially by slow rotation (in any direction) when you are in a state where you don’t move your head and the world moves around you.
The scenario above can get you especially sick. For example, reading in a car without seeing the horizon, or on a boat, are not natural movements.
With an omnidirectional treadmill, you are constantly shifting, so from experience, it solves that by compensating.
11. Watch high-resolution video
Watching high-resolution VR videos has a way of preventing fatigue and nausea. From experience, looking at blurry videos can induce fatigue and motion sickness.
Choosing videos in high-definition formats such as 4K and 8K format prevent motion sickness and fatigue from happening.
12. Download VR video beforehand
If you are in an area in which the internet is not stable or good. It is better to download the offline video to avoid interruptions while trying to stream online.
The jerkiness and interruptions can induce fatigue or motion sickness. As we know, fatigue can leave you completely sick.
To avoid becoming fatigued or motion sick due to unstable internet, download offline VR video before watching.
13. Use a swivel chair
If you are planning to get comfortable while playing a VR game, getting a swivel chair is encouraged.
A swivel chair helps users to rotate their bodies in a 360-degree manner, unlike regular chairs. Getting the one with an armrest brings more comfort.
This product goes a long way in helping you to deal with fatigue and motion sickness.
If you feel dizzy or nauseated while sitting on a swivel chair, try to move around the chair slowly.
14. Take a break
If all the above tips don’t work, the best option might be just to take a break. Taking a break intermittently in between VR sessions might be the best way to reduce fatigue.
Although we understand VR games can be so addictive. But taking frequent breaks has a way of making your body and mind function in optimal conditions.
15. Don’t use VR when you are full
After having a meal, don’t use VR immediately. Although it’s normal to feel tired after having a meal. Playing VR games right after a meal puts you at risk of high fatigue.
Allow the meal to digest properly before putting on a VR headset. No one enjoys a VR session with a full stomach.
16. Take motion sickness drugs
As a preventive measure, some people benefit from taking motion sickness drugs right before using VR.
An example of a drug to use is Dramamine. It’s a drug renowned for preventing nausea, dizziness, and vomiting.
It’s best taken an hour before using virtual reality gadgets. The drug blocks any triggers of motion sickness and fatigue.
Before using this drug, make sure to speak with your doctor.
One of the hardest things is to eliminate fatigue and motion sickness from VR. We do not guarantee this drug would prevent every form of motion sickness.
Virtual reality health & safety usage guide
Personal injury, discomfort, and property damage —all these are not uncommon with virtual reality.
The following warnings and safety guide would help you on how to safely use VR without any risk of injury.
Before Using the Headset:
- Read the manufacturer’s manual carefully before attempting to set it up.
- Properly review both the hardware and software recommendations for the headset. Problems may arise if recommendations are ignored.
- Do not use any unauthorized device with your headset.
- Unauthorized accessories may result in injury to you or others, and may cause performance issues.
- To minimize discomfort, adjust the focus lens for each user before using the headset.
- We recommend speaking to your doctor before using the headset if you are pregnant, elderly, have pre-existing binocular vision abnormalities, or have any other serious medical conditions.
- When charging your headset, ensure the headset is placed within its case. Disconnect your headset from the mains when fully charged.
Seizures:
A significant number of humans have a seizure or seizure-related conditions. This condition manifests as eye muscle twitching and dizziness.
People with seizures most times have triggers. These triggers may involve simple light flashes.
Seizures can affect people living with it at any time. A seizure can strike when watching television or even when using VR.
If you have a history of epilepsy, consult with your doctor before using a VR headset.
Electric Shock:
To reduce the risk of electric shock:
- Do not attempt to use the VR headset if any cable is damaged or if any wire is exposed.
- Do not try to modify any components provided. Employ the service of a professional technician if repairs are needed.
Contagious conditions
To avoid transferring contagious diseases, do not attempt to share your headset with people with infectious diseases.
Always ensure to clean your headset regularly with antimicrobial wipes. To clean the lenses, use a dry microfiber cloth for the lenses.
General precautions:
Safety first! You should adhere to the following sets of instructions before using a VR headset.
Use only in a safe environment.
Virtual reality is a kind of experience that blocks you from your real environment. It equally blocks your view of your real environment.
Before starting to use your headset, ensure you have the full picture of your real environment in mind.
In case of any given emergency, knowing the in and out of your environment keeps you safer.
Exercise caution to avoid injury and remain seated unless the game requires standing while playing.
Keep the following in mind:
- The use of a headset can lead to loss of balance.
- Various objects you see in the virtual world do not exist in real life. Do not attempt to sit or lean on them.
- Objects found in your immediate environment can cause you to trip. Clear the VR room to prevent tripping.
- Do not handle sharp or otherwise dangerous objects while using the headset.
- When using the headset, you may not be aware when people come in close contact with you.
- Never attempt to wear your VR headset in these situations —driving, cycling, and walking.
- Give yourself a 10-15 mins break every 30 minutes. Do this even if you feel you don’t need it.
- The use of VR can make your muscles very sore and weak. If these symptoms persist after taking a break, speak with your doctor.
3 accessories that help with VR fatigue
We understand using virtual reality can be physically and mentally tasking. Some accessories reduce VR fatigue to the bare minimum.
VR mats
Have you ever accidentally whacked your TV, lamps, VR console, or even your friends during a fun virtual reality game?
Then say goodbye to broken valuables and hurt friends with the Skywin VR Mat Round.
This kind of mat helps you stay within the mat and determine your direction during the game, so you don’t accidentally hit and break objects.
It has embossed shapes at the front so your feet can feel where the front is facing. This way, you’ll always know your direction when you’re within the mat.
This also gives you an advantage during the game, since you can stay centered and balanced.
Anti-fatigue mat cushions your feet and reduces fatigue. Helps you to drive more movement for a long period of gaming.
VR mats increase your safety and comfort.
VR headset cooling fan
One of the things that cause fatigue for users is the heating up of the VR headset while in use.
We can relate this with walking under intense heat, you get tired easily! Heat has a unique way of inducing fatigue.
Some VR headset makers have found a way around this. For example, the Valve index USB radiator, this VR accessory serves as a cooling fan for the headset.
Accessories like this are specially designed to dissipate the heat of the VR headset and keep the cooling no matter how long you play.
USB Radiator Fans specially designed for Valve Index. It’s very quiet during work, which does not make very noisy sounds and affects your gaming experience.
The fan’s wind blows from bottom to top, which effectively solves the heat generated by the device during gaming, allowing you to play longer.
Playing VR games for hours on end may give you a loath feeling which the temperature of the machine continues rising beyond your conformity.
Getting yourself a cooling fan for your VR headset helps in bringing down the temperature, thereby reducing fatigue.
VR face Silicone cover mask
Comfort is essential to having an unforgettable and immersive experience with VR.
A good headset should enable a user to breathe well. A good silicone cover mask should be sweatproof to limit fatigue.
Excessive sweating has a way of telling the mind and brain you are tired. A good example of a VR silicone face mask is Eyglo VR Face Silicone Cover Mask.
It is made of silicone material, soft and flexible, the curve is very close to your face, making you more immersed in the VR game.
The good thing about a silicone VR face mask can be easily attached and removed so that it fits according to your face.
A VR cover prevents light leakage and increases the immersive experience of VR. The silicone surface is also easy to clean, you can wipe with alcohol or paper towels, and enjoy the fun of VR with family and friends.
5 exciting uses for virtual reality
We’ve discussed the negative effects of virtual reality. The main negative effects of virtual reality are motion sickness and fatigue.
When the word “virtual reality” is mentioned; the most likely thing to think of is games. You may be surprised to learn that VR is making headways in other fields.
Now, let us discuss some exciting uses of virtual reality.
VR in military
Some advanced countries of the world are already incorporating VR in their military training.
Virtual reality allows these countries to experiment with a huge range of simulations.
Virtual reality is used in different specialties of the military. It is used in the army, navy, airforce, marines, and coastguard.
VR can be used to improve the communication skills of soldiers with civilians when out in the field.
One key use of virtual reality is in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). When soldiers return from the battlefield, they are exposed to Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET).
VRET helps soldiers to return to their normal lives.
Overall, using VR in military training reduces training costs.
VR in Sport
Sport is another field where virtual reality is gaining a lot of momentum. Virtual reality is used by coaches to train and develop their players.
After a game, VR can be used to view some events that happened during the game.
Virtual reality can also be used to measure the strength and performance level of each athlete.
It is also being used to improve the cognitive abilities of players when injured, as it allows them to experience gameplay scenarios virtually.
VR in Mental Health
As we discussed earlier, VR can be used to treat PTSD. VR exposure therapy can be used to treat a past traumatic event.
The patient is made to experience a virtual re-enactment of the past traumatic event. This is done so that the patient can come to terms with the past event to heal.
It can as well be used to treat phobias, anxiety, and depression. One good importance of VR is that you can virtually face your fears.
VR in Education
Virtual Reality is being used in the education field. Students can easily interact with themselves in a 3D environment.
Students can now be taken out on virtual field trips. They can even view the solar system right in their classroom.
VR in Medical Training
Apart from the game industry, the medical field is one of the earliest industries to employ the use of virtual reality.
The interactive nature of VR has made the training of both medical and dental students for surgical procedures easier.
The risk of making a costly mistake on a real patient’s body has been eliminated with the use of VR.
Healthcare is relatively costly throughout the world. Using VR technology has been able to reduce the cost of training for medical practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does VR make you so tired?
When your eyes receive light, melatonin production is suppressed, causing your body to wake up and become more alert. In the absence of light, melatonin production resumes and makes you feel tired.
Can VR improve eyesight?
When used as instructed by an optometrist, some VR headsets enable vision development and improvement.
Systems have been developed to improve visual acuity in amblyopia and to enhance eye-hand coordination, depth perception, reaction time, and eye coordination.
Why do my eyes feel weird after VR?
VR motion sickness happens when your eyes tell your brain you’re moving around in a VR environment, but your body feels like it’s sitting in a chair or standing still.
If you’re prone to the problem, these conflicting inputs cause you to feel miserable.
Can VR make you go crazy?
Virtual-reality sickness, also known as cybersickness, is a well-documented type of motion sickness that some people feel during or after VR play, with symptoms that include dizziness, nausea, and imbalance.
Conclusion
Preventing fatigue and motion sickness seems to be the grey area of virtual reality. We are confident more groundbreaking research will be made in the future to eliminate this.
Are you a devoted VR gamer? How have you been coping with fatigue and motion sickness?
We would like to read about your experiences in the comments section below.
