Motion sickness and other doubts

[ConairMSFS]

Hi all.

I'm thinking about getting into VR probably with a Quest 3.

How does it runs with AMD cards? Almost everywhere on net I see people using it with nvidia, but not AMD. I have a 7900XT with a 14700KF, should it be enough for fs2020? (and 2024 in future)

And main question, how did you deal with motion sikness? I remember years ago, I tried a rift 1 in a shopping mall with a driving sim, after less then 2 minutes i had to stop, and felt bad for an hour afterwards. I was literally feeling like if i was faling off from the chair.

I've suffered of labyrinthitis (when the inner ear goes crazy and you loose your sense of equilibrium) when I was a child, but now I'm totally fine, I can do acrobatic flights (as a passenger) in real life and I feel good, I've trained my brain to rely on eyes/instruments knowing that my brain can trick me. But that only time I've been trying VR, it made me feel really bad really fast.

So, should I risk 400/500 euros in a VR headset? Is it just a matter of getting used? Anny tricks? Or maybe VR headsets now got better compared to oculus V1 and motion sikness is less of a problem?

Thanks all.

 

 

 

 

 

[Daube]

I can't help you about the NVidia vs AMD graphic card compatibility question because I really have no idea about that, sorry.

Concerning the motion sickness, it is caused by two main factors:

1. Bad framerates: if you have been too optimistic with your graphical settings and the sim/game is not smooth enough, then this will make you sick very quick.
2. Being used to it: It's like riding in cars or boats. You might be sick during your first sessions, but you'll eventually get used to it and won't get sick anymore after a few sessions. The trick here is to go progressively: start with SHORT sessions (a few minutes, 5 to 10 I'd say), and VERY SLOW head movements. Avoid fast head turns to look around, avoid doing aerobatic flights, avoid helicopters if you don't master them... avoid anything unstable which would make the horizon move too fast in front of you, basically 🙂

If you can follow these advice, you'll soon get able to make longer sessions, and faster movements, progressively. But if you try to go too fast too soon, you'll get real sick real quick 😄 But I think your real life experience with aerobatics might help you a lot here. Just don't be too confident.

Concerning how much you should spend in a headset, it's hard to tell. The best headsets are really expensive. The "medium" headsets have prices ranging from 300$ (Pico4) to 6-700$ (Meta Quest 3 and such). It's up to you, really.

 

 

[ConairMSFS]

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply, really appreciated.

I thought about a Quest 3 from amazon, refurbished ones are between 400/450 euros. It should have better display and lenses compared to the cheaper 3S. But also no reason to start investing bigger amounts of money.

So in case I'll really not be able to get used to it, I'll be able to return it and get money back without any troubles.

My past bad experience with VR is making me go with caution, but I must remember it was a quick test in a shopping mall, view was pixelated/grainy, I started immediately turning my head around to see how it looked, and no idea about framerate. Maybe I'll get used and like it, maybe I'll puke and feel bad every time, you never know till you try!

 

[polosim]

3 hours ago, ConairMSFS said:

should I risk 400/500 euros in a VR headset?

I don't know where you live, but many electronics stores have VR headset on display where you can try them before buying them, stores like Best Buy or MicroCenter.

[ConairMSFS]

On 10/22/2024 at 7:58 PM, polosim said:

where you can try them before buying them, stores like Best Buy or MicroCenter.

Hope one day to vistit bestbuy or usa in general, but at the moment I'm from a small town in europe, even if I'll find a shop in the city, sure it would be again a 30 seconds test with a clerk that knows absolutely nothing about and doesent care. 😉

Waiting clerance from wife, and I'll buy from amazon, so up to 30 days to try it and see how I'll manage motion sikness, otherwise refound and no money loss.

Reading around, looks like amd with latest drivers solved stuttering/low framerate problems with the quest.

As soon as I'll have it, I'll let you know how it goes. Quite curious to try it.

 

 

[qqwertz]

I use VR for a few years now and convinced a friend to try it earlier this year (Quest 3). He got severe motion sickness at first, but he also was so fascinated by the experience that he tried to get used to it. After a few days, his motion sickness was gone. He now only flies VR and can't stand flying 2D anymore 🙂

 

[Daube]

That's the problem with VR: you get addicted.

There's this initial phase in which you basically re-discover ALL of your planes in your hangar. It's literally as if you had never flown them ever before. Even the planes you're not interested in, you want to jump in just to see how it looks like from inside 🙂

 

[ohsirus]

I get VR/Motion sickness also. The older HMDs and my old setup would give me killer headaches. I have AMD 7800X3d running on a 4090 with a Q3 and long as I'm keeping 40+ frames I am good. I have a little USB fan pointed at my face as it seems to help from getting motion sickness and also I have a very comfortable Bobo VR head strap and using the Q3 open facial as I loved my Quest Pro setup I had. With Pancake lenses I don't get the eyestrain I used to get with Fresnel lenses also. 

[Noel]

https://www.techdirt.com/2024/11/01/56-of-vr-devs-say-vr-declining-or-stagnating/

[dogmanbird]

Hi Conairmsfs,

I also can't help with the AMD v Nvidia question, sorry.

The company I work for uses a variety of different headsets, current and as far back the first Vive and Rift. I've seen users become nauseous, who have never been car / sea / flight sick, who are almost immediately sick when they put on the headset and play flight sims and car racing etc, even with perfectly smooth / high frame rates. 

I'm the polar opposite. I get car sick as a passenger, a little sea sick, but I'm almost 100% fine in VR. I know several others like this too.

Part of my nausea is related to the aircraft or vehicle not behaving as expected, to the inputs made by me. After persisting, maybe weeks, I seem to learn what to expect during the game and the nausea stops, as along as I'm in control. 

Many users have remarked that drinking some Alcohol helps. I agree with this too. 

It's not easy to predict how you'll respond to VR and I think you'll need to try VR for yourself 🙂

 

Edited November 24, 2024 by dogmanbird

[C2615]

The very first thing I did in VR is flying a helicopter... which ...well, I did NOT though throw up, that's an achievement.

After just few weeks I got used to it, now most of the condition I'm fine.

Actually, flying high and fast doesn't give much problem, dogfighting in both WW2 prop or F16 jet are no problem even at start, also driving racing car fast is no issue.

Rather, when you are near walking pace, like hovering in helo, and driving/taxiing around below like 50kph(30kts) really gives quite some discomfort. If I start/stop a car in sim (even unintentionally like crashed into a wall), I'll nod my head to give my ear some "acceleration" feeling or I'll have a micro motion sickness last few seconds.

Actually the most discomfort thing is setting on the ground with a tail dagger, so your brain constantly feel the difference between where the horizon should be, worse if you have a nose strike on these.... but if you flying fast with 30 degree of bank or pitch, that doesn't hurt somehow.

[Daube]

9 hours ago, C2615 said:

The very first thing I did in VR is flying a helicopter... which ...well, I did NOT though throw up, that's an achievement.

First try in VR ever and you start with an helicopter ??? word not allowed, you fear nothing ! 😄

My first VR session ENDED with an helicopter flight... I had started with a small aircraft, and it was ok, I was careful, flying slowly and smoothly... then I switched to an helicopter, and lost control at one point... and oh man, I almost had to cancel the dinner 😄

9 hours ago, C2615 said:

After just few weeks I got used to it, now most of the condition I'm fine.

Actually, flying high and fast doesn't give much problem, dogfighting in both WW2 prop or F16 jet are no problem even at start, also driving racing car fast is no issue.

Rather, when you are near walking pace, like hovering in helo, and driving/taxiing around below like 50kph(30kts) really gives quite some discomfort. If I start/stop a car in sim (even unintentionally like crashed into a wall), I'll nod my head to give my ear some "acceleration" feeling or I'll have a micro motion sickness last few seconds.

Actually the most discomfort thing is setting on the ground with a tail dagger, so your brain constantly feel the difference between where the horizon should be, worse if you have a nose strike on these.... but if you flying fast with 30 degree of bank or pitch, that doesn't hurt somehow.

I agree but I'd simplify by saying that the biggest problems comes from the fast and excessive movements of the horizon or surrounding scenery. That's why I recommend starting with a slow and very stable aircraft at first, because moving your head/view slowly is the key to get used to the movements in VR. Try to move too fast, and you'll get real sick real fast 🙂

 

[C2615]

15 hours ago, Daube said:

First try in VR ever and you start with an helicopter ??? word not allowed, you fear nothing ! 😄

Yeah, knowing nothing, fearing nothing. I was think  "Oh I can't tell how close I was to the helipad, so VR must be very useful for that"

15 hours ago, Daube said:

I agree but I'd simplify by saying that the biggest problems comes from the fast and excessive movements of the horizon or surrounding scenery. That's why I recommend starting with a slow and very stable aircraft at first, because moving your head/view slowly is the key to get used to the movements in VR. Try to move too fast, and you'll get real sick real fast 🙂

Yeah, I mean the absolute speed doesn't matter, but the angular velocity as well as acceleration even in straight line. Well, both are acceleration in physical term. And seems human are more sensitive to relative change, so if you accelerate from 200 to 210 kts in 2seconds is much better than 0~10kts in 2seconds. In this scene, a 747 or even Concorde is as "slow and stable" as a C172. but for starters, I would advice:

1. Don't try taxi.

2. Again, no tail dagger, J3 is fine in flight, but not on ground....

[ConairMSFS]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts.

Placed the order, couple of weeks i should get it.

So, first flight will be in an elicopter on a rollercoaster in high turbolence close to the ground!

Or maybe, will be a good goal just to move around the cockpit at the gate without trowing up, will see. 😉

 

 

[Daube]

Prepare a bucket, just in case 😄