Better grab the bucket. On launch day Thursday, keen Playstation VR players discovered that their bodies weren’t cut out for the shiny new gadgets. Having spent nearly $400 plus accessories, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but probably not as bitter as the resultant vomit from a five-hour session in DriveClub VR.
Virtual reality has been hyped up by the likes of Michael Abrash and Mark Zuckerberg as the next major revolution in computing technology. Playstation VR is the first affordable home headset, so this will be the first experience many have with the tech. It can’t be a great feeling to find out you don’t have the stomach for the future, but some players are reporting a few simple tips that can help.
Some reported a strong feeling of disassociation. On the Playstation VR subreddit, amongst pictures of shiny boxes strapped to bikes and hilarious anecdotes of exploring virtual worlds, users are sharing their horror stories about their bodies coping with VR.
“So as I am walking upstairs to my bed, a very odd feeling hits me. This isn’t where I am supposed to be,” user Takoman64 said. “All I know is I genuinely feel like reality is somewhat fake and I know if I throw back on my PSVR, this feeling would subside.”
Reddit user Stridyr has resorted to some simple old-fashioned remedies, taking 550mg of ginger in capsule form. “To my knowledge, there isn’t any kind of dosage standard, yet, but mine gives me three to five hours where I can do almost anything that I want in VR,” Stridyr said. “In addition, it seems to be effective against existing VR sickness. One of the problems with VR sickness is that it can take six to eight hours to go away! Ginger will shorten that.”
The ginger remedy is growing a following among players. Reddit user largePenisLover recommends chewing a sliver of ginger root, but to avoid eating more than four grams.
Other tips include chewing gum, easing your body into more radical experiences by starting off with seated games, and closing your eyes when you feel nauseous. Oh, and it probably goes without saying, but it’s also recommended to stop playing as soon as you feel sick.
