Understanding VR motion sickness reduction
Virtual reality offers an immersive way to experience therapy, training, and interactive environments. However, VR motion sickness remains a challenge for many users. This uncomfortable sensation—often called VR sickness—can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, and fatigue. But why does it happen?
Motion sickness occurs when there is a disconnect between what your eyes see and what your body feels. In VR, you might be moving within the simulation, but your inner ear—responsible for balance—does not detect actual movement. Your brain interprets this mismatch as a possible sign of poisoning, triggering nausea as a defense mechanism. This is almost the same biological response people experience when reading in a moving car or feeling seasick – except for the fact that in VR, the inner ear detects almost zero reposition of the body. In a car, at least your body does get moved around!
How Evrience Air's latest version helps reduce VR motion sickness
To make VR therapy and training more accessible, Evrience Air now includes a VR motion sickness reduction feature. This option is available in simulations where users move around using their touch controllers. When enabled, this feature dynamically adjusts a vignette around the user’s field of view based on movement speed and rotation.
Why does this work?
The vignette effect is a well-researched method to combat VR-induced motion sickness. By gradually reducing peripheral vision during movement, the brain receives fewer conflicting signals between sight and balance. This helps:
- Reduce sensory conflict – Less visual movement means fewer mixed signals for your brain to interpret.
- Increase comfort for longer sessions – Users can stay immersed in VR without needing frequent breaks.
- Improve accessibility – More people, including those prone to VR motion sickness, can benefit from VR therapy and training.
How to activate VR motion sickness reduction in Evrience Air
Users can enable this feature within compatible simulations inside Evrience Air, using the menu activated with the right grip button. When activated:
- A vignette effect gradually narrows the field of view when using the Touch Controllers to turn or move around.
- The vignette adapts to speed, with stronger effects at higher movement speeds.
- As soon as movement stops, the vignette returns to normal, ensuring an immersive and unobstructed experience.
Making VR More Accessible
At Evrience, we strive to make VR therapy and training as comfortable as possible. VR motion sickness should not be a barrier to immersive experiences. With this update, more users can engage with VR counseling, exposure therapy, and guided simulations without discomfort.
Do you experience VR motion sickness? Update your version of Evrience Air and let us know how it improves your experience!