Have you heard of simulation sickness?

It happens when you play video games, and it mimics the symptoms of motion sickness – headaches, dizziness, nausea, etc.

I have traumatic memories of ‘Unchartered 4’ because I felt like death after playing it. On one occasion, I went too far. Usually, I’m smart enough to limit my gaming to 30 minutes or an hour. But on that particular Sunday, I played for four hours.

By the time I dropped the controller, I could not think. My stomach felt like someone was holding my intestines and slowly twisting them. My head was doing that thing where you are convinced that someone is using the inside of your skull as a drum set. I had a strong desire to throw up, but nothing was coming out.

Simulation sickness occurs because the signals between your eyes, ears, and brain are mismatched. The brain uses the ear’s semicircular canal to detect motion. But what happens when you sit down to play a game?

According to your eyes, you are moving. You see this in first-person shooters that allow the player to perceive the world through the character’s point of view. The game wants you to feel like the character’s arms, legs, and gun belong to you.

Unfortunately, your inner ear does not know what to make of the situation. Clearly, you are sitting in one place, but your eyes are convinced that some form of movement is happening. This confusion produces the dizziness and drowsiness you feel.

This does not happen with every game. I spent roughly three hours playing FIFA with my six-year-old nephew two Sundays ago, and I felt perfectly fine. On the other hand, I abandoned Hell Blade: Senua’s Sacrifice, because the movement in that game made me sick.

I tried to ignore the sensation for a week. But Hell Blade has many puzzle elements. The landscape keeps changing around you. I kept walking back and forth through the setting, searching for a path to the next level. After a while, I could not handle it.

So, can you solve simulation sickness? Surprisingly, yes you can. At the very least, you can lower the potency of the symptoms. Start by making a frequent effort to expose yourself to nauseating video games. It sounds counterintuitive, but it helps.

Don’t do what I did with Unchartered 4. Limit your gaming to 30-minute sessions. Your body will gradually adapt. Try to experiment until you find a duration that allows you to play without feeling sick. Once you identify your threshold, don’t cross it.

You should also prioritize smaller screens. Big screens are too immersive. They encourage the confusion in signals I mentioned earlier. A small screen reminds your brain that you’re sitting still in a room because you can see the static objects surrounding the screen.

Don’t sit too close to the screen. This helped me during the Covid era because I had a console. I could afford to sit as far back from the TV as possible. But now I play games on a laptop. So keeping my distance is a challenge. Still, experiment until you find a distance that works for you.

Play in well-lit rooms. Dim or dark settings exacerbate the situation by straining your eyes. You can also adjust the settings until you find an appealing refresh rate. Some experts recommend disabling motion blur and camera bobbing.

Don’t forget to take breaks, especially if 30-minute gaming sessions are too short for you to enjoy yourself. Talk a ten-minute walk every 30 minutes to an hour. Do a chore and return to the game later when your senses are refreshed.

When all else fails, talk to a doctor. From what I have heard, antihistamines can treat simulation sickness because they also combat motion sickness. But I’m not a doctor! Consult a medical professional.

In the meantime, use home remedies like ginger (cooked, eaten raw, or drank in tea), peppermint (tea, oil, or capsules), and cinnamon to fight nausea while gaming.

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