Experiencing discomfort, dizziness, or nausea while playing video games is known as simulator sickness, sometimes called cybersickness. This condition shares symptoms with traditional motion sickness, including sweating, headaches, and vomiting. Unlike motion sickness, which typically arises from actual physical movement, simulator sickness occurs in simulated environments where the body remains stationary. Visual stimuli alone can induce physical reactions.
The Sensory Conflict
The primary explanation for video game motion sickness centers on the sensory conflict theory: the brain receives contradictory signals from different sensory systems. Your eyes perceive movement and changes on the screen, indicating that you are in motion, while your inner ear, which governs balance and detects physical movement, signals your body is still. This mismatch between visual input and vestibular (inner ear) input creates a confusing scenario for the brain.
The brain, accustomed to these sensory inputs aligning, may interpret this conflict as a sign the body ingested a toxin. In response, it triggers nausea, dizziness, and disorientation as a protective mechanism to expel the perceived harmful substance. This evolutionary response, helpful in detecting poisons, becomes discomfort in the context of virtual movement.
Game Design Elements That Trigger Sickness
Game design choices can amplify the sensory conflict, making players more susceptible to simulator sickness. A narrow Field of View (FOV) can restrict peripheral vision, making the on-screen movement feel more intense and disorienting as it fills a large portion of the visual field. This creates a tunnel vision effect, which can increase the feeling of being pulled into the virtual world without corresponding physical motion.
Inconsistent frame rates or drops in frames per second (FPS) contribute to discomfort. When the visual information is choppy or unstable, it further disrupts the brain’s ability to reconcile visual cues with the body’s stillness. Excessive camera shake, head bobbing (which simulates a character’s head movement while walking), and weapon bobbing can introduce jarring visual disturbances that exacerbate motion sickness. Motion blur, intended to create a sense of speed or realism, can increase visual distortion, making the image less clear and more challenging for the brain to process. Rapid and unpredictable camera movements, often found in fast-paced action games, can overwhelm the visual system and heighten the sensory mismatch.
Individual Factors Influencing Susceptibility
Not everyone experiences video game motion sickness equally, even with identical game elements. Children and young adults may exhibit higher susceptibility than older adults. Gender can also influence susceptibility, with some studies suggesting women may be more prone to cybersickness than men. Prior experiences with other forms of motion sickness, such as car sickness or seasickness, can indicate a predisposition to simulator sickness. Individuals more sensitive to sensory input may find themselves more easily affected. The brain’s ability to adapt, a process known as habituation, varies widely among individuals, influencing how quickly or whether they can overcome symptoms with repeated exposure.
Strategies to Reduce Discomfort
Several strategies can help alleviate or prevent video game motion sickness. Adjusting in-game settings is a primary approach; increasing the Field of View (FOV) can provide a wider perspective, reducing the tunnel vision effect and allowing the brain to register more of the stationary real-world environment. Disabling motion blur, camera shake, and head bobbing can reduce visual triggers that contribute to discomfort. Maintaining a stable frame rate, even if it means lowering graphical settings, can also reduce visual choppiness.
Environmental adjustments also play a role. Playing in a well-lit room helps your eyes perceive the stationary surroundings, reminding your brain that the movement is only on a screen. Sitting further away from the screen can reduce the extent to which the virtual environment fills your field of vision, providing more visual cues from the real world. Taking frequent breaks is important, stopping as soon as symptoms begin to avoid intensifying the discomfort.
Personal strategies can offer additional relief. Consuming ginger (tea, candy, or supplements) has therapeutic effects on nausea. Focusing on a stationary object within the game, such as a crosshair, can give the eyes a fixed point of reference. Gradually increasing exposure to games that cause sickness, starting with short sessions and slowly extending playtime, can help the brain adapt over time.