This post was originally published on February 25, 2015, on the I Expect You To Die developers blog.

VR, like any platform, has its share of challenges. And don’t get me wrong – I *love* a good challenge. New technology? Tight schedule so we can be first to market? Moving specs? Bring it, baby.After years of using HMDs (Head Mounted Displays) for VR experiences – devices that are low rez, heavy, laggy, don’t work with glasses, etc. – the DK2 is stunning.The DK2 allows for a freedom that traditional consoles just cannot offer. Distractions are gone. Your living room is gone. It’s as close to being in the game as I’ve ever felt.

I’m on a vehicle falling through the sky. And because VR places me in the driver’s seat, I get that sensation of free falling.

VR is exhilarating. Which makes it so unfortunate that the kind of freedom VR provides tastes a little bit like half digested breakfast. Because once you start to feel sick, it’s game over. You rip off the headset and we’ve lost you. Just search for DK2 nausea and you’ll see what I mean.

We want you to love our game. Which is why it’s SO IMPORTANT that we get this right. We’ve spent months discovering what triggers that sensation of queasiness. We want to know what works, what doesn’t, and where we can push the bar in order to create a memorable, immersive experience that takes your breath away. And nothing else.

So now for the secret. It all starts and ends with movement. It’s the worst. It sounds crazy, but if you can make a game where you never have to move from one point to another, you’ve mostly solved your puking problem.

We’ve tried first person movement, third person movement, moving fast, slow, and in between. Jumping, stomping, driving, and so on. And some things do feel better than others. But the one constant is that quality of life goes downhill over time when movement is involved. And this happens to people who never have problems with boats or roller coasters or any other common triggers. While you *can* build up a VR nausea resistance with enough perseverance, we’re not about to test your limits.

Can VR be an immersive, memorable experience if you’re stuck in one fixed location? We think it can. But movement can add a lot. So we’ve identified multiple variables which help as well as hurt.

• Constant speed is key. Regardless of whether you’re walking or aboard a bullet train, constant speed is predictable and reasonably comfortable. That means…
• Accelerating and decelerating is bad. Again, motion should be as constant as possible.
• Faster is better than slower.

• Open spaces are better than confined. Being on a train in a wide expanse is ok. Train in a tunnel with walls whizzing by? Not ok.

That approaching tunnel is bad news.

• Spinning/turning is bad. If it’s bad out of VR, chances are it’s doubly bad in it.

Wheeee… bleeargh.

• Less stuff in your scene means less stuff to potentially make you sick. Avoid having too much in your periphery.
• Smooth is good, bumpy is not. A track on a flat terrain is better than off-roading.

And these are just some of the experiments we’ve conducted. As we dive into full development, we’ll continue to figure out what works in VR and what doesn’t, keeping an ever vigilant eye on our stomachs so that you won’t have to.

Have you found other things which can cause or deter motion sickness? Let us know!