Cybersickness and postural stability of first time VR users playing VR videogames

This study investigated symptoms of cybersickness and postural instability experienced by new users of head mounted display virtual reality (HMD-VR), playing VR videogames over long and repeated sessions, and moderation of these symptoms by previous videogame experience and intensity of videogame stimulus.& nbsp;Cybersickness (SSQ) and postural stability (anterior-posterior path-velocity) of new users of VR (n = 80) was collected PRE-VR, POST-VR and 10 min after completing (POST-RECOVERY) a VR gaming experience. Users comprised of videogamers (n = 40) and non-videogamers (n = 40), who were randomly assigned to play either action (high-intensity stimuli) or adventure (low-intensity stimuli) games in VR for 30 min and repeated twice, one week apart.& nbsp;All participants, irrespective of gaming status and genre of game, experienced significant cybersickness after 30 min in VR using current-generation HMD-VR technology, and did not adapt (POST-VR) after two sessions. However videogamers were able to recover (POST-RECOVERY) from cybersickness induced in VR significantly better than non-videogamers.& nbsp;All participants experienced significantly better postural stability after 30 min in VR, irrespective of gaming experience or genre of game.& nbsp;Developers should create VR experiences that minimise negative symptoms of cybersickness and postural instability experience by new users of VR.

Automated summary

This study investigated the symptoms of cybersickness and postural instability experienced by new users of virtual reality (VR) head mounted display (HMD-VR) while playing VR videogames over long and repeated sessions. The study also examined how previous videogame experience and intensity of videogame stimulus moderated these symptoms. The findings showed that all participants, regardless of gaming status and genre of game, experienced significant cybersickness after 30 minutes in VR, but videogamers were able to recover from the symptoms better. Additionally, all participants experienced improved postural stability after 30 minutes in VR, regardless of gaming experience or genre of game. The study suggests that developers should create VR experiences that minimize the negative symptoms of cybersickness and postural instability for new users of VR.