VR/Motion Sickness

[Madaras]

So I've been good with just about every game I've tried many VR games so far and most of them, unfortunately, were a bust. However, that's to be expected there is no standard for VR presently and so there is a lot of experimenting going on. There have been very few games that have caused me to get sick, however games like minecraft vr and Robinson the journey are great examples of good games that do make me sick. I believe this is because of the jerky camera movement. As other games that weren't built for the Rift also had a tendency to be jerky and were also games that made me feel ill. I wondered if the movement could also be a cause for that. In which case a device like the Omni, no long being supported for consumers, would resolve. 

So the point of this is to inquire with my VR community and see if there are any solutions being theorized or are being worked on to correct VR sickness, because with it presently the ideal gaming experience, in relation to VR, can't be achieved.

[anthonsh]

Teleportation movement instead of minecraft style movement makes the issue go away for most people.  On GearVR a good example of how to do that properly is Break a leg Demo (free) or laser team, which is awesome but hard to find people to actually play against. Both of these have teleportation with orientation selection. 

Most people initially balk at this but even though I dont get sick I do dislike playing games I know give others issues. The more people talk about it the more I notice that unnatural feeling, even if it doesnt make me sick. Low or moderate is okay (teleportation with quick movement, like Wands is acceptable, or movement that makes sense like in racing games), but beyond that I worry about recommending something that will make my friends puke and/or quit VR.  For example, I had to specifically tell a friend to use a swivel chair or stand in minecraft so he could play longer than 30 min. His instincts/gaming history are betraying him.

Teleportation feels very universal in VR being able to be implimented in a similar manner across different VR platforms. (Ie: gear might teleport, rift or vive might teleport the roomscale box.)

[lensmandave]

Here is a very interesting presentation from Connect 4, discussing the problems and solutions to VR locomotion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMSpHIHeaR0

[kevinw729]

I think we need to place the comment "makes me sick" in a retirement home now. The VR community has caught up with the studies of the 90's and all agree, that actual sickness is not the issue - I have worked in VR operation since phase two and only seen two people physically upchuck from VR usage - and there were extraneous circumstances.

I would like to propose the use of "comfort" and "discomfort" - as we are talking about woosynees, migraine, confusion, and general uncomfortableness that a need to be physically sick. 

That said, a lot has been show (such as the OC4) session, and the recent Japanese VR Conferences to address the key issues of locomotion and and performance issues inducing Sim-sickness (which I will also retire from using). Having a meeting with a leading VR game developer they also wanted to underline this point - especially as they felt it was promoting the wrong issue, and perpetrating a redundant issue.

[Madaras]

I'd really like to move more naturally than teleportation. It's true that it helps eliminate discomfort, but it's not a preferable mode of travel.

[anthonsh]

kevinw729 said:

I think we need to place the comment "makes me sick" in a retirement home now. The VR community has caught up with the studies of the 90's and all agree, that actual sickness is not the issue - I have worked in VR operation since phase two and only seen two people physically upchuck from VR usage - and there were extraneous circumstances.

I would like to propose the use of "comfort" and "discomfort" - as we are talking about woosynees, migraine, confusion, and general uncomfortableness that a need to be physically sick. 

That said, a lot has been show (such as the OC4) session, and the recent Japanese VR Conferences to address the key issues of locomotion and and performance issues inducing Sim-sickness (which I will also retire from using). Having a meeting with a leading VR game developer they also wanted to underline this point - especially as they felt it was promoting the wrong issue, and perpetrating a redundant issue.

Oh please. I love VR but I can plainly see that youre trying to change the labelling because you feel its harmful.  
The truth is that lots of people feel sick. Lots of people stay home from work and say theyre sick when they have the feelings youre describing. And many people feel like puking but dont, and calling it discomfort wont make them happier about it. 

If you want the narritive to change, take things like joystick turning out of your games. My friend sold his VR headset after trying minecraft. He didnt care that there were comfort options, the default needs to be the safest option and if you mess up you lose the customer entirely. 

[Anonymous]

in my opinion this nausea is due in part to how the head follows what its looking it. specifically is the head turning too much for comfort in order to keep an eye on what its looking at.

in 360 degree videos if you have to crane your head to see what you want this is fine once but over and over its bothersome to look far left over your shoulder then far right over your shoulder back and forth its ugly.

no what would be good is to see what you want to see with only a little head movement, only enough head movement your comfortable to move your head.

so i think if we had some sort of third person view of something when we move, this thing could move in a comfortable range of left right head movement as we move our head and turn and walk around.

like in 360 videos the camera is OK moving and the camera doesnt turn, but if the camera turns fast and jerky this makes the video ugly. same principle for locomotion illness, you want to turn so what you see as you turn makes sense.

the thing moves left so you turn your head left to keep an eye on it, or right so you turn your head right to keep seeing it, but not too far left or right its uncomfortable.

what would be good is to have a sort of threshold that you turn your head at one speed and its realtime, then like when you have to peer over your shoulder your head moves faster.
so as you turn in the game some of the turn is one speed then it speeds up until you stop turning. in joytokey this is called analog acceleration. the key is this analog acceleration happens when its no longer comfortable to look left or right.

[Anonymous]

Meh. My game is going to have free locomotion and smooth turning as the default controls with options for a vignette and snap turning for those susceptible to simulation sickness.

And it should be called simulation sickness too. I don't know a more suitable word for describing flu-like symptoms.

[anthonsh]

Maybe they should have an intro experience when you first start your VR headset that determines your simulation sickness tolerance and defaults / filters your game settings /games accordingly. 

[kevinw729]

snowdog said:

And it should be called simulation sickness too. I don't know a more suitable word for describing flu-like symptoms.

Oh, that is easy - "I don't know a more suitable word for describing flu-like symptoms." = 'The Flu' or 'A Cold'! (they don't normally call it 'Winter Vomiting Virus' - unless it is making you throw up. That is the issue!)

Its not trying to change the narrative, but it is trying to get away from the fixation of you will be vomiting your gutts up after or during the game.