Prevent Motion Sickness in VR

Excerpt from Nicholas Sutrich’s “The latest Meta Quest 3 update could end VR motion sickness as we know it” (December 19, 2023):¹

Meta’s promised upper-body tracking feature — which was included in the December 2023 Meta Quest V60 update — might just be the key to eliminating motion sickness for most players. The feature works by using the Meta Quest 3’s cameras to track your arm, shoulder, and torso movements. Those movements are then translated into VR, allowing for more natural movements in every type of game.

While we thought this would mainly positively affect gameplay, it turns out that the feature helps solve one of VR’s biggest problems. Well-known VR developer BattleAxeVR replied to a post on X (previously Twitter), noting that the upper body tracking feature made virtual movement in games like Skyrim VR feel more natural, eliminating motion sickness in folks previously prone to its negative effects.

BattleAxeVR describes the effect as a more natural way to use the human body’s normal methods of movement. In a nutshell, our inner ear is filled with tubes of fluid that respond to gravity as well as back-and -forth motion. When you’re moving virtually in VR game, these tubes of fluid don’t get moved as they normally would when you move your body in real life, thus triggering a motion sickness reaction. …

Upper body tracking can also help with movements while seated, as ex-CEO of Owlchemy labs, Devin Reimer, pointed out in a post in X. In a game that adopts the new tech, gamers who prefer sitting while playing can tilt and twist their bodies more naturally and see those actions happen in the game.

That’s particular important in multiplayer titles, as Reimer points out, as there’s a notable social difference between turning your heads to look at someone and turning your entire body to give them your full attention.

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