How to reduce motion sickness motion sickness with video games?

There are several practical solutions to adopt, from the simplest adaptable to each gaming session to the most complex relying on medication.

 

The most common solutions are as follows:

 

Find the game that suits you best

If you’re very sensitive to motion sickness when playing immersive games, avoid first-person games. First-person shooters are the number one culprit, while games with ultra-realistic graphics can make the world go round in a second.

 

Third-person games are less likely to cause motion sickness, as their field of vision is generally wider and they’re less likely to trick the brain into thinking it should be moving when the body remains still.  Other options include puzzle games and 2D titles, to name but a few other genres. This may be disappointing, but you may need to build up your tolerance to finally play first-person shooters. Getting your body used to less complex games is a great way to move on to highly realistic graphics and fast camera movements.

 

If nothing works for you, we’re sorry, but you may have to stop playing first-person shooters entirely.

 

Steamsick’s aim is to help you find the games least likely to make you ill, thanks to its SickMeter indicator. Don’t hesitate to check out a game on our website before you buy or start playing it.

 

Short training sessions

To avoid suffering from video game-induced motion sickness, it’s advisable to take regular breaks. The safest and easiest way to combat video game-induced motion sickness is to play challenging games slowly, in several short sessions. This allows the brain and body to build up a tolerance.

 

Your body can get used to it after repeated sessions, i.e. playing and being sick, stopping, then starting again later when you feel better. Do this until you stop being sick and your brain realizes that what you’re seeing and doing isn’t hurting you.

 

Adequate screens

Large screens are very popular, not only because they allow gamers to see more detailed images, but also because they facilitate immersion in whatever we’re watching, whether it’s a film or a video game. But it’s precisely for this reason that you shouldn’t use one if you suffer from simulation kinetosis.

 

Small screens are preferable: they won’t occupy your entire field of vision, constantly reminding your brain that you are indeed in a room, and that the movement you see is just an image on a screen. 

 

But don’t settle for a screen that’s too small, and don’t limit your gaming to your smartphone. Screens that are too small force you to strain your eyes to make out the tiniest details, so you run the risk of suffering headaches, another common and annoying symptom of gaming sickness.

 

Proper lighting

Turn on more lights – playing in a dark room is bad for the eyes. Ditch the LED strips you’ve seen in viral videos, or the string lights that have been hanging in your window for years, and turn on a real lamp to light up your space.

 

The effect is twofold. Firstly, by playing in a well-lit room, you won’t have to strain your eyes, which will prevent you from getting a headache. Secondly, the lighting of your environment will help your eyes to understand that you’re in a room and not fighting zombies on the Titanic.

 

A reasonable distance from the screen

If you want to reduce the nausea you feel every time you play your favorite games, try sitting a little further away from the screen. For best results, choose a specific spot from which you’re comfortable enough to play, and which isn’t too close to the screen.

 

There’s no single distance that’s right for everyone, so it’s a matter of trial and error to see what distance works best for you when playing your favorite console or computer games.

 

Medication as a cheat code

Some medicines can help (e.g. Dramamine, Bonine, Meclizine and Benadryl), but they can also make you drowsy. Dramamine, for example, was designed to treat and prevent multiple causes of nausea, such as gaming and watching movies or television. It’s made from ginger and can be taken safely, with little or no side effects for most people.

 

For those who are a little intimidated by medication, ginger tea is recommended as a natural way to relieve nausea, and indeed ginger has been proven to help relieve nausea and vomiting. Ginger has been proven effective against nausea and vomiting for centuries. To take advantage of this age-old method of avoiding food, you can ask your doctor how much raw ginger he or she recommends you take, or try more diluted forms of ginger in candy or tea.