Weird feeling of nausea when playing RDR2... HELP!

[namename11]

I finished playing RDR last week and thought I would start RDR2, which I did a few days ago on Sunday. Unfortunately, I could not enjoy it for very long as I started to get very nauseous after 15 to 20 minutes.



I thought I would be fine another day as I was very full on Sunday night, but nope. I tried to play multiple times everyday (both before and after meals) but to no avail. I can't play for more than 20 mins without feeling very nauseous. It's a bit like carsickness I guess. Very strange.



I have given up on RDR2 for now and started playing Bloodborne for now, which gives me no feelings of nausea btw (I played for 4+ hours lol), but I don't want this to ruin one of my most anticipated games of all time.



Does anyone know what could be the cause of this and how (if) I can fix this? Some extra info: I am playing on a Playstation 5, with a Dualsense and on a 28 inch 1080p 60hz monitor which I sit 3 feet from.

 

[Robert Newbie]

I haven't played RDR or its sequel, but I can try and throw out some guesses. First off, does RDR2 have that "realistic" shakycam that newer games have? Second, what's the color palette and lighting like compared to the first game? Maybe certain color combinations are the problem. Third, you could try sitting four feet (or more) from the monitor, though about three is the recommended distance. (Six feet for TV screens.)

 

[Taleweaver]

Motion sickness isn't that unusual for modern games. It's a physical warning caused by the disconnect between your visual and physical perception. Otherwise said: the movement you see is so realistic that your body gets thrown off that it doesn't feel that movement. And yes, it's the same as car sickness.
Tinkering with settings might help, but it's a long shot. I can't deny that I've given up on some games for that reason (but truth be told: haven't had it since the early 2000's).

 

[namename11]

I haven't played RDR or its sequel, but I can try and throw out some guesses. First off, does RDR2 have that "realistic" shakycam that newer games have? Second, what's the color palette and lighting like compared to the first game? Maybe certain color combinations are the problem. Third, you could try sitting four feet (or more) from the monitor, though about three is the recommended distance. (Six feet for TV screens.)

Yep, the camera shakes when I'm riding a horse or during "cinematic" scenes. The colors and lighting are.... normal? A bit more vivid than the first game but nothing I haven't seen before. Not extreme imo. I did try sitting a bit farther away (4 to 5') but it stresses my eyes too much since my monitor is so small.

Motion sickness isn't that unusual for modern games. It's a physical warning caused by the disconnect between your visual and physical perception. Otherwise said: the movement you see is so realistic that your body gets thrown off that it doesn't feel that movement. And yes, it's the same as car sickness.
Tinkering with settings might help, but it's a long shot. I can't deny that I've given up on some games for that reason (but truth be told: haven't had it since the early 2000's).

I tried changing some of the accessibility settings but it didn't do much. I don't want to give up on this though.... the first game is one of my faves.

 

[Taleweaver]

It's a non-answer, but have you tried asking chatgpt?

 

[froggy55]

I finished playing RDR last week and thought I would start RDR2, which I did a few days ago on Sunday. Unfortunately, I could not enjoy it for very long as I started to get very nauseous after 15 to 20 minutes.



I thought I would be fine another day as I was very full on Sunday night, but nope. I tried to play multiple times everyday (both before and after meals) but to no avail. I can't play for more than 20 mins without feeling very nauseous. It's a bit like carsickness I guess. Very strange.



I have given up on RDR2 for now and started playing Bloodborne for now, which gives me no feelings of nausea btw (I played for 4+ hours lol), but I don't want this to ruin one of my most anticipated games of all time.



Does anyone know what could be the cause of this and how (if) I can fix this? Some extra info: I am playing on a Playstation 5, with a Dualsense and on a 28 inch 1080p 60hz monitor which I sit 3 feet from.

have you ever had issues with seizures nausea is sometimes a precursor to just before the onset certain color patterns and flashing sequences can trigger nausea in people who are photo sensitive i might consult a doctor to make sure nothing has changed with your health just in case because sometimes hidden health issues can crop up when you least expect its better safe than sorry i have a sister who is epileptic and i have a little brother that now has seizure issues because of an inoperable tumor in his brain thankfully its benighn but still causes some issues from time to time im not saying this is your cause so please dont be freaked out im just saying if this is something you have never experienced before and is unsual to your case maybe see a doctor i my self get motion sickness but never had an issue with this game the most these games do to me cause me a pretty bad head ache if i play to long and this is because of the 3d movements of the camera allowing you to spin your character left an right and also do to my eyes being strained and also my neck being strained one thing maybe you could try if it is just motion sickness is maybe taking a pill for motion sickness like what you would take before going on a boat that might help your simptoms and let you play longer more comfortably

 

[BigOnYa]

Try playing it in VR.

 

[slam2001]

farther away (4 to 5') The distance is the issue

 

[namename11]

It's a non-answer, but have you tried asking chatgpt?

I did, actually, but the only remotely useful "solution" it had was to take frequent breaks.

have you ever had issues with seizures nausea is sometimes a precursor to just before the onset certain color patterns and flashing sequences can trigger nausea in people who are photo sensitive i might consult a doctor to make sure nothing has changed with your health just in case because sometimes hidden health issues can crop up when you least expect its better safe than sorry i have a sister who is epileptic and i have a little brother that now has seizure issues because of an inoperable tumor in his brain thankfully its benighn but still causes some issues from time to time im not saying this is your cause so please dont be freaked out im just saying if this is something you have never experienced before and is unsual to your case maybe see a doctor i my self get motion sickness but never had an issue with this game the most these games do to me cause me a pretty bad head ache if i play to long and this is because of the 3d movements of the camera allowing you to spin your character left an right and also do to my eyes being strained and also my neck being strained one thing maybe you could try if it is just motion sickness is maybe taking a pill for motion sickness like what you would take before going on a boat that might help your simptoms and let you play longer more comfortably

I have played a lot of games with seizure warnings but never experienced any adverse effects myself. I will go through some of them again just to make sure nothing has changed, but this is the first time a game has made me sick.

As for the pill, idk how I feel about taking medication just to play video games, lol. But I will try it at least once since I love Red Dead.

Try playing it in VR.

Sure, that'll be $500+taxes.

farther away (4 to 5') The distance is the issue

I did try this and while I think it helped, it puts a lot of strain on my eyes and gives me a headache instead.

 

[Francie]

build a PC that runs the game higher than a measley 30 FPS

 

[Reploid]

it also makes me wanna puke due how tasteless and poorly written it is

 

[namename11]

build a PC that runs the game higher than a measley 30 FPS

30 FPS is not the issue. I've been playing almost every PS5 game at 30 and it has never been an issue.

it also makes me wanna puke due how tasteless and poorly written it is

But my horse has animated testes so..... 10/10

 

[Francie]

30 FPS is not the issue. I've been playing almost every PS5 game at 30 and it has never been an issue.

yeah, I used to think the same way about caffeine, was drinking cold brew coffee every day
then I switched to decaf and my anxiety level is much better
besides, your tolerance for low framerates could simply be diminishing, and the game could be dipping below 30 fps anyway

 

[slam2001]

I did, actually, but the only remotely useful "solution" it had was to take frequent breaks.

I have played a lot of games with seizure warnings but never experienced any adverse effects myself. I will go through some of them again just to make sure nothing has changed, but this is the first time a game has made me sick.

As for the pill, idk how I feel about taking medication just to play video games, lol. But I will try it at least once since I love Red Dead.

Sure, that'll be $500+taxes.

I did try this and while I think it helped, it puts a lot of strain on my eyes and gives me a headache instead.

Sounds like you need glasses bro

 

[namename11]

Okay I have tried everything recommended here and nope, i am still fucked when it comes to RDR2 (and a bit poorer from the eye exam and the nausea meds). Weirdly this also happens when i am watching a 60fps capture of RDR2 say on youtube so yeah its the game not the frame rate.

Only thing I haven't tried is the brain tumor checkup someone recommended because the possibility frankly terrifies me and it's not like it's fixable anyway so i would rather stay in the dark than in fear lol.

 

[tmnr1992]

Try lowering the screen brightness as much as you can, and if you're playing in a dark room turn on the lights or some lamp nearby, as looking at a screen in a dark room puts more strain on the eyes. Also take into account the time you spend with other screens like your phone or TV, as those will also contribute to you feeling nauseous much faster.

And as already mentioned check your eyes, maybe you need glasses, and if you already use them maybe it's time to get new ones. Glasses should be replaced roughly every year and a half.

 

[ClipperDefiance]

You could always give something like sea-bands a try. A big disclaimer though is that they're mostly a placebo. They work based on acupressure, which is widely considered by experts to be pseudo-science. That having been said, there are many people who swear by them.

 

[Citizen_404]

Apropos of nothing, I never had motion sickness of any sort playing games. Until...

When the BotW Labo VR kit came out, I rushed to get it to play BotW "in VR" and...

...the frame rate was so low (30 fps) and the resolution was so bad (640 x 480) I got the worst motion sickness AND headache.

It didn't help that I had a sinus problem...

I've been wanting to try it again some time, but the memory of the nausea and headache really has been so bad, I haven't even bothered.

 

[bahamut920]

I've never had to deal with video game-related motion sickness personally, but I've heard that widening the field of view in a game that's giving you motion sickness can help alleviate it.

 

[Viri]

My ex had a similar issue with Portal 1 and 2 and other FPS games. She made it a bit better by adjusting the FOV. For some reason, she had a lot of issues with Portal 1 and 2, but not Killing Floor. lol