Visually induced motion sickness and presence in videogames: The role of sound

Abstract

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a well-known phenomenon in virtual environments, simulators, and videogames. We conducted an experiment to analyze the role of sound on the severity of VIMS and the feeling of presence in videogames. Thirty-two subjects first watched a pre-recorded sequence of the game “Mirrors Edge” and then played the game actively. Game-play sound was activated for half of the participants. VIMS was measured via the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire and the Fast Motion Sickness Scale, presence was captured using the Presence Questionnaire. Results showed severe VIMS in all participants during the passive video session, whereas active-play revealed only moderate VIMS. However, in both conditions sound turned out to have no effect, neither on the severity of VIMS nor on the amount of presence. We found a moderate negative correlation between VIMS and presence. The results indicate that sound is less important than often thought.