JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Virtual reality (VR) exergaming has potential for targeting sedentary behavior. Immersive environments can distract users from the physical exertion of exercise and can motivate them to continue exergaming. Despite the recent surge in VR popularity, numerous users still experience VR sickness from using head-mounted displays (HMDs). Aside from the commonly assessed self-report symptoms, depth perception and cognition may also be affected when users experience VR sickness. Considering the potential benefits of VR exergaming, it is crucial to identify the adverse effects limiting its potential and continued uptake.

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the consequences of playing one of the most popular VR exergames for 10 and 50 minutes on aspects of vision, cognition and self−reported VR sickness.

Methods:

Thirty-six participants played a popular VR exergame called Beat Saber using an HMD. A repeated measures within-subject design was conducted to assess changes in vision, cognition and well-being after short (10 minute) and long (50 minute) VR exposures. We measured accommodation, convergence, decision speed, movement speed, and self-report sickness at three test periods—before VR, immediately after VR and 40 minutes after VR (late).

Results:

Beat Saber was well tolerated as there were no dropouts due to sickness. Overall, for most participants any immediate aftereffects were short-lived and returned to baseline levels after 40 minutes of exiting VR. For both short and long exposures, there were changes in accommodation [F(1,35)=8.424, P=.006] and convergence [F(1,35)=7.826, P=.008], however, at the late test period participants returned to baseline levels. Measures on cognition revealed nothing of concern. Total simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) scores were increased immediately after VR [F(1,35)=26.515, P<.001], and significantly higher for long compared with short exposures [t(35)=2.807, P=.032], but there were no differences for exposure duration at the late test period with scores returning to baseline levels. Although at a group level participants sickness levels returned to baseline 40 minutes after VR exposure, about 14 percent of individuals still reported high levels of sickness at the late test period after playing 50 minutes of Beat Saber. We also show that the participants who experienced a high level of sickness after a short exposure was almost certain to experience a high level of symptoms after a longer exposure.

Conclusions:

Irrespective of exposure duration, this study found no strong evidence for adverse symptoms after 40 minutes from exiting VR, however, some individuals still reported high levels of VR sickness at this stage. We recommend that users commit to a waiting period after exiting VR to ensure any aftereffects have deteriorated. Exergames in head-mounted displays have the potential to encourage people to exercise but are understudied, and the aftereffects of exergaming need to be closely monitored to ensure VR exergames can reach their full potential.