Simulator sickness or commonly known as Motion sickness is caused when there is a lack of synchronization between what you are seeing and what your brain perceives. It is quite common when people travel a long journey and in some cases, short distances can also trigger this. However, motion sickness can also happen while you are playing a game. In this article, we are going to see why you feel sick or dizzy when playing games and what’s the cause.
Find out why you feel sick or dizzy when playing games
When you play games for a long period of time, you experience Simulator Sickness, which is similar to Motion Sickness. We will be talking at length about this topic and everything else you need to know. We will also talk about the prevention methods you can take to not encounter this issue and everything else.
What is Motion Sickness?
Motion sickness occurs when your brain gets confused with the different inputs it receives from your eyes, ears, and body. When it gets confused, motion sickness occurs.
Many gamers while playing the game feel nauseous, dizzy, or start sweating heavily. This is generally due to the phenomenon called Motion Sickness. It is pretty common among people who are sensitive to their environment, and you may have felt it too once in your life.
Unfortunately, there’s no concrete scientific evidence behind the reason for Motion Sickness and there is a long-due debate going on. Half the scientist believe that it happens when there is a conflict between two of the sensory organs. In simple words, there’s a high chance of you falling sick when you are feeling the exact opposite of what you are seeing. For instance, when you are reading on your phone while on the bus or when you are playing a game.
What is Simulator Sickness?
Simulator Sickness, similar to motion sickness, is a phenomenon that you experience when interacting with a simulated environment such as VR or when playing games. You will experience this problem mostly when playing simulated games such as battle games or flight simulators. These are similar to motion sickness, so, everything we talked about there, applies to this sickness as well. So, you will sweat, and feel headaches, uneasiness, drowsiness, and disorientation.
Why does the game cause simulator sickness?
First and foremost, not all games can trigger simulator sickness/ motion sickness and for different people, different games can be the issue. For example, some people may get sick when playing first-player shooting games while others may be affected by games with realistic graphics frameworks.
Simulator sickness is generally associated with your eyes and ears and therefore different responses send by your inner ear and eyes to the brain are speculated as the cause. Another reason behind the said issue can be your divided focus. Games with two different movements happening at the same divide the gamers’ attention due to which people feel dizzy, drowsy, and in some cases, nauseous.
How to reduce motion sickness while playing the game?
If you are one such person who gets a headache or sick feeling in your gut while playing the game, then here’s how to reduce motion sickness:
- Setting your gaming console in a place with good ventilation and bright lights is the key to reducing motion sickness while playing the game. Many people prefer dim lights while playing the game, however, it can sometimes make the place suffocated. So avoid dim lights and tight areas.
- Make sure that there’s a safe distance between you and the screen. Doing so will not only protect your eyes from screen radiation but also prevent motion sickness.
- Immediately stop playing the game if you are feeling too nauseated or your headache seems to get worse. Go outside, roam for a while, get fresh air in your lungs, and then try playing the game.
- You can also go for medicine, otherwise, meditation is the best replacement that can help to cure motion sickness.
- Try playing the game for a short period of time, and then gradually increase your playing time. This way you’ll get used to the game and hence no motion sickness. However, if all of the methods seem to be futile, then avoid playing the game entirely.
We would recommend you follow all the precautions mentioned here. If you can’t follow all of them, then try following most of them. Hopefully, you won’t feel sick due to gaming.
Read: What is Cybersickness or VR Sickness? Symptoms Precautions Treatment
Can you feel sick from playing video games?
Yes, you can very much feel nauseated, light-headed, or have a bad headache while playing your game. This phenomenon is known as simulator sickness and not motion sickness as you are experiencing the same side effect yet you are very much sitting and not in motion. That is why it is not recommended to play games for hours. There should be moderation in your amount of game time.
Read: List of Best Games in Microsoft Store for Windows
Why does playing video games give me a headache?
If you are getting headaches while playing the game or in general by your screen, then make sure that you are giving your eyes a well-needed eye shut. However, dehydration and motion sickness can also be the reasons why you are having headaches while playing games. If you are not a professional gamer, try reducing your game time. In case you are a gamer, take breaks during gaming sessions, and at the same time keep yourself hydrated. Also, avoid playing in a dark room, you don’t want headaches due to the bright blue light of your monitor screen.
Read: How to enable Optimizations for windowed games in Windows 11
Can video games cause anxiety?
There are a lot of studies proving that gamers feel anxious when playing games. Mostly this behavior has been observed by gamers playing intense games. Although the intensity of anxiety varies from person to person. If you are feeling such anxiety, stop gaming, go to the expert and discuss your issue. If you are susceptible to anxiety avoid playing horror or overtly competitive games.
Also read: Best free Game Development software to create your own games.
