Motion sickness - will there be universal standards for comfort settings some day?

[jennnnnnnn]

I just got my Quest 2 a week or two ago and overall I love it. However, I am someone who is prone to motion sickness. There are some apps that I have no problems with, but MANY apps are pretty much unusable. I appreciate that there is clearly a lot of work being done to improve comfort settings without breaking immersion and look forward to improvement in this area. For now, even with comfort settings on in all apps, I am very limited as to what I can and can't do in VR. It's really disappointing. The biggest offender is sadly Rec Room. They have so many comfort settings, but either the settings don't help nearly enough or they interfere so much with gameplay/immersion that it's not worth it to play. I just want to play paintball! LOL.

I know there are tips on what I can do on my end to make things easier (turn on a fan, drink some ginger ale, take frequent breaks, etc), but I am just curious if in the future there will be some kind of universal standard or rating system that would 1. provide guidance for developers on how to make their app/game usable for people who get motion sickness and 2. provide users with a "comfort rating" before purchasing or even trying a demo of the app. Trial and error works of course, but I hate having to download and sign up for something just to find that the game is completely unplayable for me and now I can't use my headset for 24 hours or I will actually throw up (and never want to put on the headset again).

This might sound dramatic, but my motion sickness really is that severe.

For anyone experiencing motion sickness using their headset here are my tips:

• Don't play sleep deprived!!
• If you play while/after drinking any alcoholic beverages, pay close attention to how you feel and quit for the night (or at least switch to a completely stationary game) as soon as you feel uncomfortable.
• Fujii is mostly pretty comfortable as far as exploration games go, and one of the most beautiful games out there. Do not play stationary though. Get up, walk around, sit down on the floor when you get into the boat if your mobility allows.
• VRChat is kind of okay with comfort settings maxed and after getting used to it
• of course stationary games/apps are great
• Making digital art in 3D (even if it's ugly lol) is probably my favorite stationary activity in VR since it's something that I can't do in real life
• just watching Netflix on a giant virtual TV is nice
• Videos that are filmed and stitched to make you feel fully immersed are horrible though (like in the app Within). The camera is never perfectly still, and the resolution just isn't good enough, even if I download the video. So I end up closing my eyes just so that I can hear the end of the story. Might as well listen to a podcast. I really like the content in the app Within, so I am so disappointed about this. Can't wait for improvements in this area.
• If you want to play a game that you know is difficult for you, try standing up and setting as big of a guardian as you can (safely) so that you can move around as much as possible. Avoid using controllers to move and look around the environment as much as you can. Quit for 10 minutes and drink a cool beverage or step outside if the weather is nice as soon as you feel the slightest bit of motion sickness.

[Nekto2]

Are you playing seated?

Are you closing your eyes (or half-closing) while turning?

Also if you start to feel not good in vr try to close your eyes that moment and try to grip some real objects with your hands (good while sitting).

ps. some tests shows that it is bad for motion sickness if you can't see your nose in vr! And they draw virtual nose in place 🙂

[Arko66]

Hiya   jennnnnnnn.

Have you tried taking motion sickness tablets? I have never suffered from motion sickness until the day I got my Quest-2. I tried the roller-coaster and felt like I was going to vomit everywhere!. I went to the chemist the next day and asked the Pharmacist what she would recommend for motion sickness. She asked how would I be travelling and didn't even look surprised when I said by VR. She knew exactly what I meant as she had been asked this many times before. Anyway, she gave me some Kwells and I took one an hour before I was going to play again and just like magic the majority of the motion sickness disappeared. It was incredible. I was able to play the roller-coaster with practically no view-limitation visor. I'm from the UK and Kwells is what I would recommend. I hope you get it sorted jennnnnnnn as it really is an unpleasant feeling. Let us know how you get on.

[Scruffy_teh_Janitor]

There should be a rule for motion sickness, i guess we gota wait until someone dies first.

[racs.811587]

I understand that you are experiencing motion sickness while using your Quest 2 VR headset and that it limits your ability to enjoy various apps and games. You mentioned that some apps have comfort settings, but they either don't help enough or interfere with gameplay and immersion.

While I don't have access to information about future developments or universal standards in the VR industry, it is likely that developers and manufacturers are aware of the importance of comfort settings and minimizing motion sickness. They may continue to work on improving these settings and finding ways to enhance user comfort while maintaining immersion.

It would be beneficial if there were more standardized guidelines or a comfort rating system to help developers create VR experiences that are more accessible for people prone to motion sickness. This could also assist users in making informed decisions about which apps to try based on their personal comfort level.

In the meantime, it's great that you have shared your tips for dealing with motion sickness in VR. Those suggestions, such as avoiding playing while sleep-deprived, being mindful of alcohol consumption, and engaging in stationary activities, can be helpful for others who may experience similar issues.

Remember to reach out to the developers of specific apps and games you enjoy or want to try. They may appreciate user feedback and could potentially consider implementing additional comfort settings or improvements based on user experiences.

As VR technology continues to advance, it is likely that efforts will be made to enhance user comfort and reduce motion sickness. Stay updated with the latest developments, consult with the VR community, and continue to provide feedback to help improve the overall VR experience for users prone to motion sickness.

[paul.224762]

I understand your problem, my friend has the same trouble. I hope it is possible that there could be a universal standard or rating system to provide guidance for developers on how to make their VR applications more comfortable for people prone to motion sickness.