The frequency of occurrence and severity of side-effects of immersion virtual reality.

TLDR

Virtual reality has become increasingly popular, yet little is known about the side‑effects of prolonged immersion. The study investigated the frequency and severity of side‑effects from an immersion VR system and highlighted the need for further research to identify causative factors and reduce these effects. Among 146 participants, 61 % reported malaise during a 20‑minute immersion and 10‑minute post‑immersion period, with symptoms ranging from dizziness to severe nausea, and 5 % withdrew before completing the immersion.

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) has become increasingly well-known over the last few years. However, little is known about the side-effects of prolonged immersion in VR. This study set out to investigate the frequency of occurrence and severity of side-effects of using an immersion VR system. Out of 146 subjects, 61% reported symptoms of malaise at some point during a 20-min immersion and 10-min post-immersion period. These ranged from symptoms such as dizziness, stomach awareness, headaches, eyestrain and lightheadedness to severe nausea. These symptoms caused 5% of the subjects to withdraw from the experiment before completing their 20-min immersion period. Further research needs to be conducted that attempts to identify those factors that play a causative role in the side-effects of the VR system, and that looks for methods of reducing these side-effects.