6 tips to reduce motion sickness with VR

There are a few settings on the VR headset that can help. By lowering the brightness of the VR headset, you can reduce the stimulations your brain has to process. This way, your brain can adapt better and the moving images don't affect you as much. It's also important that you set up the lenses correctly. This way, you always have a sharp image and your brain doesn't get as many stimulations from your eyes.

Make sure that you've had enough food and water before putting on the VR headset. Check your breathing and breathe calmly. Take breaks when you don't feel very well. Grab a fan and point it in your direction or open a window when you start playing to ensure you get fresh air.

Do you start to get dizzy when you play? Stop playing right away, at least until the dizziness has passed. This way, you make sure the brains don't link the smell and sense of the VR headset to the feeling of motion sickness. Stop before you get dizzy and gradually build up your tolerance. Do you really not feel well when you game in VR?

• Take off the headset right away.
• Lie down flat on the ground or sit on a chair and keep your head still.
• Breath deeply.
• Open a window for fresh air.

Many VR headsets have different modes: virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. In VR, you only see a virtual world. The chance of motion sickness is greatest with this mode. Do you get nauseated easily? Start with AR or MR. With this, you can still see the real world so you don't confuse your brain as much. Does that feel OK? Slowly build up to VR games with short sessions and teleportation. That way, you can figure out which mode feels most comfortable.

Slowly build up your playtime to train your brain. You'll be able to use the VR headset longer every time as a result. Start with 10 minutes and gradually build up. If you give your brain time to get used to virtual reality, you can prevent motion sickness.

Not every VR game or experience has the same number of frames per second the whole time. Stutters in the image confuse the brain, because it only takes place visually. The rest of your body just keeps going. If you're extra sensitive for motion sickness, it's smart to choose a game with teleportation as a way of moving.

Did you recently start with VR? Choose a game in which you stand in 1 place and in which you have to look around, like Beat Saber. Do you have some more experience? Try Population One or Arizona Sunshine. In the Meta Store, you can see a comfort rating with every gaming. Comfortable, average, or intense, for example. This way, you can quickly check which experience level suits your and how intense the experience will be.

With Virtual Reality, it's important that the images look smooth and the sensors register your movements well.

Are you using an active VR headset, like a Meta Quest 3? The sensors have to be clean. It's also important that you have a stable WiFi connection so you don't experience any lag while you game. Is your image not correct? Hold down the HOME button on the controller and the image will be right in front of you again.

Are you using a passive VR headset in combination with a PC or laptop? It's important that your PC or laptop has the right specifications. You can check this on the product page. You can also work with external base stations that you mount in the right place. That way, your movements are always registered well.