How to deal with headaches from playing 3D games?

So at first I wondered whether it was due to my not drinking enough water or having too much backing light or hanging out in too hot a place. But after getting headaches from playing Metroid Prime, Deus Ex, and now Team Fortress 2, I wonder if it's from the action itself.

I got the least from Prime, possibly because I sat away from the TV, while the other two are computer games. Though come to think of it, in both of the latter cases I also played them during daytime with the window behind the screen.

Anyone know how to deal with this?

edited 25th Jun '11 2:56:29 PM by GlennMagusHarvey

You should sit away from the TV/computer screen more.

edited 25th Jun '11 2:56:57 PM by EnglishIvy

It's actually a problem with the "3D" aspect. Your brain wasn't designed to handle it.

Well, yeah, try fiddling around with where you sit, the window, etc.

Don't play them.

I get horrible headaches from any sort of 3D media. I hope 3D just dies off.

edited 25th Jun '11 3:57:51 PM by Shichibukai

What helped me the most was to play them more, and to play a lot of 3-D puzzles. Playing Portal and fast-paced deathmatch games also helps build up a developed 3-D sense.

Driving on the difficult highways of Southern California helps too - 3D games are like nothing compared to that.

I thought this was going to be about like, 3DS 3D.

I think playing more will get you used to it, since I don't feel a difference with 3D and 2D personally.

Get used to playing them via small increments and short playing sessions. Gradually raise your playing time.

Well, from what I gather there are quite a few people out there who didn't seem to have a problem at any time, even during first exposure (my own first exposure was bad, even though it was a glasses-type thing). I'd like to know exactly what element of their internal wiring allowed that.

edited 26th Jun '11 3:02:16 AM by Recon5

I remember when I got motion sickness from Goldeneye64 as a kid.

I pretty much kept replaying the Dam until I got used to it.

Never really got this effect at all :/

Then again, I started playing games at the Ps1/N64 era. When 3D just started. So yeah, I guess I just started there so thats why.

Do you wear glasses? How's the lighting where you play?

You can change the contrast, or the ambient light levels to see if that improves your results.

I've been playing games since the Atari, and never avoided 3D or anything. Heck, I played days of Goldeneye back in the day. However, many modern games give me headaches and nausea. Portal literally made me vomit after about half an hour. Frankly, I don't think tolerance is something that makes any sense in this context. If tolerance could be created, I would have created it by now. I suppose it's possible there are slightly different issues with different people though.

Anyway, the only solution I've found is to take long breaks every so often. Like, play for 3 hours, then take an hour and a half break. If you let it build up too much the headache will get much worse and can last more than a day, so it's best to just cut it off before it starts. I will admit though that this tends to discourage me from playing these games much anymore. I'm not sure what they changed, but it started around the Xbox era.

edited 27th Jun '11 3:38:08 AM by Clarste

Come to think of it, I didn't get it much from playing Megaman Legends.

Maybe it's due to screwy and/or unstable camera.

Hit the pause button, save you game, take a break.

Then people will complain about when the game asks you to take a break.

"Hi Ness, you've been adventuring for a while now. Why don't you go take a break?"

Ya but itjust surely must suck to know than many other people can go an unlimited time starting at the screen and practically nothing happens to their eyes.