Oculus VR Can Have Some Physical Side Effects, Be Warned!

So if you use Oculus VR you stand the risk of seizures, impairment of physical abilities, disorientation and a lot more.


Yes that is true; the head mounted virtual reality set Oculus VR might not be as safe as it sounds. You might be surprised to learn that the device isn’t exactly what we think it would be. While saying that, I am not talking about the gaming experience – that part works great – it is the aftereffects that most of us didn’t expect.

We do know that virtual reality devices tend you shake you up a little bit, but that notion is usually rubbed off for being something that just the lighthearted go through. However, the official ‘Health and Safety Warning’ document that the developers have provided with the Oculus VR Development Kit 2 says otherwise.

This time, they have tried to be as explicit about the concerns and dangers that the users ‘might’ face.

First off, they make sure you understand the need to be in the right place for using the VR. For instance, being close to stairs, solid objects like furniture, sharp edged tools and even other people might hurt you as you could get knocked over and hit them.

Then, they warned that you should ‘ease into’ the use of Oculus VR – as if it’s a military training or something. You should start with only a few minutes and gradually increase the time knowing that you are getting accustomed to it. Wow that’s gotta be intense.

Moving on, they talk about disorientation, involuntary movements and increased salivation – yeah, that last one!

Next come the interesting bits; you could feel like you have just disembarked a cruise ship and, wait for it – wait for it, the aftereffects could take a couple of hours to become apparent. You might feel excessive drowsiness, impaired multitasking abilities (for real?) and might be putting yourself in the harm’s way if you don’t let the aftershocks settle down. In the end it says:

“Do not drive, operate machinery, or engage in other visually or physically demanding activities that have potentially serious consequences or other activities that require unimpaired balance and hand-eye coordination until you have fully recovered from any symptoms.”

That isn’t much right? Who’s up for some Oculus VR based games before hitting the road then?

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Zawad Iftikhar is the founder of SegmentNext.com, an FPS enthusiast and a Call of Duty veteran, having participated multiple eSports competition.