Motion sickness and postural sway in console video games

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neuroscience
• Virtual Reality and Gaming

Background:

• Anecdotal reports suggest console video games may induce motion sickness.
• Understanding the prevalence and predictors of video game-induced motion sickness is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence of motion sickness in participants playing console video games.
• To determine if postural motion differs between participants who experience motion sickness and those who do not, prior to symptom onset.

Main Methods:

• Forty undergraduate students played console video games for up to 50 minutes.
• Participants were tested in both sitting and standing positions, with varied display screen distances.
• Head and torso motion were monitored during gameplay.

Main Results:

• Motion sickness incidence ranged from 42% to 56% across different conditions.
• No significant difference in incidence was found across varying conditions.
• Pre-symptomatic differences in head and torso motion were detected between participants who became sick and those who remained well.

Conclusions:

• Console video games present a notable risk for inducing motion sickness.
• Findings suggest potential for early detection of susceptibility through motion analysis.
• Implications include informing game design and user recommendations for console gaming.