Motion Sickness

Motion Sickness is caused when your eyes think you’re moving, but the rest of your body does not. Studies have shown that some people are more susceptible to it than others, but in general 1 in 3 people will experience some form of motion sickness.

Symptoms

VR motion sickness is indicated by various symptoms, all of which are unpleasant and will be familiar to people that get sick from cars or boats. The most common symptoms are [2][6]:

Nausea

Sweating

Headaches

Fatigue

Diziness

Preparing Users

It’s important to remember that any person, whether they’re new to VR or experienced, can get motion sick. It may be tempting then, to give users a message saying “Remove your headset if you feel any discomfort, and take frequent breaks if you are prone to motion sickness,” before they start your experience.

However, merely mentioning illness or discomfort can increase the chance someone will get motion sick [6][7]. So a better message would be, “Feel free to remove your headset at any point, and remember to go at your own pace in the experience!” or something similar. Something with a positive tone, that won’t make the user think “motion sickness.”

Below is an example of having a game having a positive tone and talking about motion sickness without directly mentioning it.

Game: Epic Roller Coasters

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However moments later the game says “motion sickness” which is something that should be avoided. Better wording would have been, “Remember to look forward to get the most comfortable experience!” or something similar.

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Below is one more example of poor wording. While this is a medical simulation and needs to be transparent, it’s still an example of what to avoid for most experiences, mainly the word “discomfort.”

Game: Oxford Medical Simulation

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Minimizing risks

Even with a phenomenally designed experience, people can still get motion sickness due to external factors. So, here are things to remind people to do before/during your VR experience:

Stay hydrated [6]

urine-color-chart-pee-hydration-and-dehydration-test-strip-vector-design-for-medical-education-poster-2GNC5TK.jpg

Ensure your headset is properly fitted [5]

Keep air blowing on yourself [2]

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Mitigation

Even in the most user-friendly VR experience, some people will inevitably get motion sick. So, here are ways to mitigate motion sickness when it happens, as a user:

Take the headset off as soon as you feel it- it will only get worse over time [5]

Get fresh air [2]

Ask for a fan or some air flow [5]

Take a 15 minute break every 15-30 minutes during the VR experience [5]

Eat hard candy [6]

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