But if you are one of the many who suffer from cybersickness (sometimes called VR sickness) this news will probably make you groan out loud as you remember those terrible symptoms you suffered resulting in you relegating your kit to the highest shelf to gather dust, waiting for a time when you are ready to try again.
There are however some things you can do to combat cybersickness and now couldn’t be a better time to dust off those headsets and prepare for the time when VR gaming is going to be the norm rather than the novelty.
People, in general, are cautious of new technology and just like playing at those new online sites where you can expect some great games, bonuses and promotional offers it takes time to get the hang of VR headsets.
It’s been proved that cybersickness is directly related to motion sickness so if you have ever had those symptoms of nausea, disorientation, sweating, and headaches you will have empathy with those that suffer like that each time they want to play a VR game.
Interestingly, those that have never suffered from motion sickness can suffer from cybersickness, so no one is safe.
The VR headset uses a three sensory system – proprioceptive – visual – and vestibular and if this system was perfect there would be no problem, but if our eyes perceive a moment which is only a few milliseconds out of sync then the response taken by our body is either rushed or delayed – think of getting off a moving bus and your balance is thrown out of sync, so a poor refresh rate for a VR headset will definitely cause issues.
Buying the very best headset that you can afford makes a lot of sense – so high resolution and if possible, try to get an OLED display over an LCD one. Make sure your headset has trackers that have sub-millimeter head tracking which will help to minimize any delay.
Using a PC which has high specs is also a good idea and making sure that the frame per second match the refresh rate will ensure a more positive experience.
Personal comfort is also essential when playing VR games so try to keep cool, have lots of breaks, make sure your breathing stays steady (it tends to speed up when excited) and even think of starting your VR journey with more sedate games are all worthwhile considerations.