Examining the Relationship Between Cybersickness, Postural Instability and Its Impact on Virtual Reality Experience

Abstract :This study aimed to investigate in the gaming population, if Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) induces cybersickness and impacts equilibrium coordination in gamers, which has become a negative consequence of degrading the interface for VR users. Various abnormalities can cause quantifiable changes in body awareness when donning a Head Mounted Display (HMD) in a Virtual Environment (VE), which VR headsets provide to match the actual world and allow users to have a range of experiences. The research used a cross-sectional observational analysis and recruited 40 subjects in and around bengaluru, based on selection criteria, with the intervention lasting 6 months. The after-effects of the virtual environment were evaluated using a Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, which holds a single period for measuring motion sickness. Equilibrium tests were done thrice, before gaming, at the exit, and after 10 mins. Statistical analyses were performed using paired t-tests. The results showed that the participants experienced cybersickness, as indicated by their Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) scores and t-value. The study also found that the participants' average equilibrium coordination deteriorated before gaming to exit, and improved from exit, indicating a stabilizing condition. However, further research is needed to determine whether cybersickness affects equilibrium coordination. Although virtual reality in video games is still developing, integrating gameplay action into the VR experience will necessitate significant study and development.