PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

CYBERSICKNESS: WHAT CAN YOU DO

Before you decided to pack away your headset and consign it to the highest shelf in the most distant room of your house, read on!

Like many I have had the unfortunate experience of cybersickness or VR sickness, and after one particularly nasty day where all the symptoms seemed to compound into one massive headache where I needed to go to bed and take some medication to help I decided to try some of the guidelines I had read about (albeit skeptically) to give my headset one last chance.

The result is that now I am gradually (very, very slowly!) able to increase the time I spend using my headset, and although it's been a slow process I still think it's worth following the guidelines if you really want to enjoy virtual reality.

Usually I am pretty good at following guidelines, for instance, if I were going to search for a new deal on home insurance I would follow the guidelines laid down by a reputable comparison site, and the same rules apply to me searching for anything from a mobile casino guide to which is the best in new movies. I guess I just like to find out and research what likeminded people think about something I am interested in, so why I did not follow guidelines relating to VR sickness is beyond me.

So, what did I do in order to be able to enjoy my virtual experience?

Firstly, I really cut usage of the headset right down to a few minutes.  Now this can be infuriating when you are itching to become fully immersed, but there simply is no point taking you to the level where you feel ill. Cutting down the time spent on your headset means that you can get acclimatise yourself and then begin to increase your time spent in world.

I took regular breaks when I was doing this putting down the headset and then doing something else, and in this way, I avoided the feeling of being sick. I know when the sickness is coming on and I tried not to get to that point of no return.

When you are first beginning to train yourself try taking the teleportation options in a game instead of walking or riding to your next destination, and also train yourself on a game that is not jam packed with action.

Making your environment friendly is also a great idea. Use a fan if needed and get comfortable.

If you are playing at a level where the excitement kicks in remember to breathe properly as we take shorter breaths when excited and this deprives the brain of much needed oxygen.

Cybersickness and all of the horrible related symptoms like sweating, headaches, disorientation, nausea and actually throwing up is caused by your eyes telling you that you are moving whilst your ears are telling you that you are not. This makes the brain go a little mad and leads to all those nasties described above.

But, with patience and some understanding it can be resolved opening up a whole new world to enjoy.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet