For the most part, however, timing VR sessions to allow for breaks, or limiting the use of the headsets, will reduce instances of eye strain. There are some cases in which eye strain is a symptom of a more serious eye condition, which would require optometric treatment. Usually, all it requires is a break from the activity and a short period of rest, allowing the eyes and brain to heal. These usually result from intense use of the eyes for visual tasks, often without adequate eye care and breaks.Įye strain can be painful and frustrating, but as the American Academy of Ophthalmology writes, it is not a serious condition, and it can be quickly and easily remedied. Symptoms include tired eyes, which simply means difficulty with focusing vision, blurry vision, headaches, and sometimes double vision. Any eye discomfort caused by focusing the eyes on an object (or objects) for long periods of time would be considered eye strain, whether this happens while looking at a computer screen, reading in poor visibility, driving for extended periods of time, or using a virtual reality headset.Įye strain is known as asthenopia, and it is also referred to as eye fatigue. Eye strain happens when the eyes are put through intense use. Is Eye Strain Dangerous?Įye strain is not unique to VR headsets, but it is nonetheless a risk. This is also what puts pressure on the eyes to try and determine where “things” are in that environment. Consumer VR headsets only have 35 degrees field of vision, which is what causes the brain to struggle to perceive distance and relative space within the VR environment. Human beings have a typical field of view of 200 degrees (how much a person can see around them at any given moment), 140 degrees for binocular vision (the overlapping field of view, which allows us to perceive depth), and 60 degrees for peripheral vision (what we can see out the corners of our eyes). Indeed, “the brain has to fight against its normal (functioning)” in order to make sense of what the VR screens are telling it, which is what causes some people to have headaches and eye pain after using a headset. VentureBeat points out that virtual reality headsets ask the brain and the eyes to process visual information in ways that do not come naturally. The current generation of headsets does not completely address the optical issues that come with a device that has to be used so close to the eyes. People interact with the VR world by using a keyboard and a mouse, or a specially calibrated gloves and controllers, to simulate movement and interaction with elements within the VR world. The full headset is required in order to completely take up their field of vision and eliminate the sight of real-world objects and settings. Most virtual reality systems are visually delivered, either displayed on a computer screen or through a special headset that users wear. The environments can depict real-world settings for training or therapeutic purposes, or fantastical ones for gaming and recreation. Virtual reality, or VR, is a technology that allows people to interact with computer-simulated environments. Simply resting and not using VR headsets for too long will help to avoid eye strain.īecause children’s brains are still developing their sense of sight and perception, they should probably not use VR headsets. Eye strain will not cause long-term problems, but it is a sign that the eyes and brain need a break from the activity. This can cause eye strain, which is simply a case of the eye muscles becoming fatigued. When using VR, a user’s brain is forced to process visual stimuli in a different way than normal. Most modern and consumer applications of this use a headset to see the environment. Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of a real or imagined environment. When people use VR, they strain their eyes to focus on the image they see, but what they are actually doing is focusing their eyes on a pixelated screen. The realism of the simulation can affect how a user perceives the space around them, leading to general discomfort that sometimes manifests as motion sickness.Įye strain and pain are common issues when using VR headsets. When using virtual reality headsets, as many as 70 percent of users complain of nausea and dizziness, according to ABC News.
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