How can you reduce motion sickness in AR/VR?

Coming from a VR/Robotics research background. 1. Yes the type of VR headset hardware affect the UX. Oculus Quest 2 is way less comfortable than Varjo or Steam Index. This comes with higher resolution and higher prices of those headsets. 2. Adding to Avin Shahs point, devising locomotion as an approximation of physical motion has been tested and really makes people less sick and nauseous. HMU if want to know more on the robotics merging with VR!

Virtual reality sickness, or VR motion sickness, arises from conflicting signals in a user's brain regarding self-movement within a digital environment. Primarily caused by a disparity in signals from the eyes and inner ear, mitigating this discomfort begins with selecting optimal VR hardware. A headset with a generous field of view (FOV) addresses disorientation triggers, while a high frame rate minimizes lag and image instability. Incorporating features such as adjustable lens distance (IPD) and a comfortable, well-fitted design around the eyes and head further reduce the adverse effects of VR sickness.

In my experience of tyring over 100 published VR experiences and prototyping my own, the easiest way is to avoid smooth locomotion by teleporting or 'blinking'. However, if you want smooth locomotion, it helps to reduce the brain's confusion between actual and perceived movement. Two ways: - Situate the player/audience inside a vehicle or helmet. This provides a visual reference as an anchor so that the brain interprets a context for the movement that replicates the real world. - Devise your locomotion controls as an approximation of real physical action so that the player's hands are shown propelling us within the frame in real-time as the player interacts e.g. rowing, ski-ing, driving (see nDreams 'Phantom Covert Opps' or 'Fracked').

A headset with a smooth display and refresh rate will provide you a good VR experience without nausea. Comfortable fit and good tracking are essential. Do your homework and you're done!

Recent evidence suggests that the immersive capability of certain XR technologies does influence motion sickness, or in this case, cybersickness. Specifically, researchers have manipulated frame timing, and found quite significant effects in higher cybersickness reports. On the same notion, the software also makes a difference. If the motion within the environment creates a mismatch with the player’s own physical motion they’ll experience cybersickness.

Working with limited FoV when moving (like an iris that shrinks as you move) and/or using teletransportation are the most commonly used ways to navigate virtual environments. Everyone will have different experiences, as I've seen people that are unable to use a VR device and others that have zero issues with any type of movement. The important part is to be aware of these things before so the user can mentally prepare and detect these issues before they become full blown nausea or discomfort. Usually, FoV and other settings are tested as the software is developed and usually the standard settings are the best option. If you do have issues, then consider tweaking your settings while keeping an eye out for FPS, FoV & Motion blur.

Again, realism doesn't matter. You can try to be realistic and get into the uncanny valley. The option of 3Dof or 6DoF is a great feature and can be used for different types of users and experiences. Brightness is another great setting to be changed if the person already has balance issues. With that being said, sound is also an important feature that should be remembered here.

Adjusting those parameters can affect everything. VR settings: Reduce motion intensity. Adjusting the field of view on some headsets can assist. Try it out!

Accessibility should always be at the forefront of any product design! With that said, settings to reduce motion sickness will largely depend on the user. Generally, a user should aim to reduce the amount of mismatched motion (e.g., joystick movement while you’re standing still). There is some evidence looking at interpupillary distance (IPD) and how that affects presence and cybersickness, so adjusting this is a good step as well!

Let's say, you chose the right headset for a VR experience; it can be Quest2,Quest 2,Pro,HTC Vive,Pico4... A Varjo even! There are a couple of really good quality VR headsets out there. After you chose the right one depending on your budget and expectations,now you're ready to roll on VR! If you're having a VR experience and not quiet sure about the settings that you can change and manipulate,here are a few: + teleportation: instead of choosing dash ( which you move in sync with your controller), you can choose teleportation and move in staqato/in cuts, that will help you to gain your 'VR legs' and you'll have more movement control over your controller. +tunnel: you can choose a tunnel view. That might help not to get motion sickness.

Stay in touch with your body and how you feel as you move along the experiences. Always remember that you can take off the headset! don't wait until you feel sick before bailing out. It's better to "dive in" multiple short times and enjoy a good experience, than overshoot and have an awful one that will impact how you feel about VR in the long run. As for developers, basically never do things that are way different than what your mind would expect to happen, remember that our brain is constantly creating "end results" and expectations about behaviors, projections, visual cues like shadows and lightning, sound, etc.. and if some things are off, you will feel sick!! if you are introducing new innovative things, take baby steps to introduce.

Taking breaks is crucial. Avoid VR marathons—your brain and stomach will thank you. Keep things steady with in-game cues like focal points and horizon lines. Helps lots!

Any neurodivergent knows that (as myself), overstimulation do not only cause motion sickness but also,headaches,muscle pain and so many other kind of health issues temporarily. So,even if you're an expert,let's say someone who had spent over 5000 hours on VR or someone with 10 hours, we know that, we need short breaks even when we're working for long hours. Last years when I was working on a 6 hour shooting of a VR music video, we had regularly took 5-10 min. breaks and be sure everyone is safe and good to go. Because we were professionals,sometimes we went over an hour but, it's always good to give short breaks in every 20-30 min. Because once we got the motion sickness, it may take like at least 30-45 min. to go back to feeling good.

Prolonged AR/VR sessions can lead to discomfort and motion sickness, making it crucial to schedule regular breaks to rest your eyes and reduce fatigue. Cues, both visual and auditory, play a significant role in maintaining orientation and guiding users within the virtual environment. These cues can indicate boundaries, guide users to specific interactions, and help prevent disorientation. Physical cues, such as markers on the floor, can be employed to establish safe areas in the real world, ensuring users remain within designated boundaries while immersed in AR/VR.

Engaging with VR/AR can initially cause disorientation for users, necessitating a gradual acclimatization process. Commencing with brief sessions of five to 10 minutes and incrementally extending the duration as comfort develops is advisable. An optimal VR session typically spans eight minutes for a seamless experience. In the event of early signs of motion sickness, users are encouraged to take a break to alleviate discomfort promptly.

Preparation matters. Make sure you have enough space to avoid bumping into things. Ginger is a secret anti-quease potion, so eat some before starting. Get ready for a thrill!

Ventilation is HUGE. It’s not really known why, but having a fan blowing on you during simulator experiences reduces cybersickness significantly. So, make sure you have a breathable headset, open a window or turn on a fan, and enjoy yourself!

In my experience actually developing applications with defective VR experience led to experimentation that gave insightful idea into how/why we feel sick when using VR.

Like finding the right pants, try multiple games and settings to find your fit. Some can endure rollercoaster simulations, others not. Learning what works for you is key. Keep trying!

To reduce motion sickness in VR consider the following aspects: Design your app in a comfortable way. Avoid camera effects like motion blur, bobbing or shaking or fast-paced movements. Instruct users to have a well-tracked physical space. Make sure that your app is well optimized so it hits the target framerate of your device. Make sure users are comfortable by implementing options for additional comfort such as blinking or vignetting, or adding more static reference points. Provide different ways of moving around the environment to make your product accessible and comfortable for a wide range of users. For example (blink) teleportation as well as continuous movement.

If you're a creator, definitely consider higher framerates and performance (even over aesthetics) if it comes down to it - for VR it's generally accepted that dipping below 60fps will invite motion sickness; this can be even more so if the framerate is varying through the experience. For live action VR this might not be a reality based on the cameras used and capture framerate, but aim for 30fps rather than 25 or another derivative.

When building experiences for other people, it's really important to understand that not everyone will experience what you do! This is why user testing is key, especially for VR experiences that are more motion-heavy. You can start by using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, the Fast Motion Sickness Scale, or simply observing your users for signs and symptoms of motion sickness while they complete tasks. Newer research is currently being conducted on more objective biological measures of motion sickness but are not yet ready for mass implementation. So it's important in the mean time that you're recruiting a variety of people for testing to ensure you're getting feedback that's right for your intended user groups!

Special care must be taken with artificial locomotion; for example, one must be careful with speed and rough movements. Also implement rest frames (elements that remain stable in the visual field, e.g. a nose or chassis).

There may be some evidence suggesting experiences inducing more presence could reduce cybersickness. While this is only a correlational observation currently, there is a possibility that presence could actually *protect* against cybersickness. So make sure to engage with experiences that make you feel present in the virtual space!