How do you design a virtual reality game that won't make players feel like puking?

Simulation sickness, the feeling of nauea and disorientation that some people suffer when playing VR games, has recently received more attention due to the promotion of VR headsets in the game industry.

At GDC Europe in Cologne this year, researcher Ben Lewis-Evans shared some basic game design guidelines (based on meaningful research) that can be followed by developers to reduce the risk of simulation sickness, both in VR and as a general aid to making their game more accessible to a wide range of players.

Lewis-Evans' talk was practical, thorough and packed with useful takeaways for developers about a subject that's still being explored. If you missed it in person, you can now watch it for free on the GDC Vault.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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