I’m Rahm Fan, a natural-born headache gamer.
As a kid, I watched people play GTA San Andreas and Resident Evil 4 on the PS2, eager to jump in myself, only to get hit with a pounding headache after just an hour. Twenty years later, I found out that the dizziness from playing games is no different from getting car sick.
But here’s the thing—if you completely skip out on these games, I guarantee your gaming history will have a big gap. Too many iconic titles are in 3D, and those over-the-shoulder perspectives are where you find the most intense action and storylines. But there’s a catch—I get dizzy. So how do I make it work?
I wonder if you’ve ever pushed through. Back when I first started feeling sick, I didn’t look for answers. I just pushed myself to keep playing, even when I had to lie down for an hour just to recover from the nausea. Then I’d go right back at it, over and over. Resident Evil 4 was just too good to stop. By the end of the day, I threw up and finally gave up.
And no, I didn’t cure my motion sickness—if I had, I wouldn’t have created this site.
As a kid, I powered through, but now that I’m older, every time I start feeling dizzy while gaming, I ask myself, “Is this really worth it?”
Even now, my friends are teaming up for Dark Souls 3 on Steam, and I’m stuck playing Dota 2 or Oxygen Not Included (which are still great, don’t get me wrong). But it hits me that my body is keeping me from games I want to enjoy—I really want to be in those nail-biting battles in Dark Souls, dodging and weaving through the most intense moments.
What’s interesting is that many gamers today mention they had the same motion sickness as kids but eventually pushed through. Now, they can play almost any 3D game smoothly, except for the ultimate motion-sickness makers like Portal, Fallout, or Half-Life.
That got me thinking—every gamer’s experience with headaches is different. I’ve also noticed that women are more likely to deal with motion sickness than men, probably due to physiological reasons. From what I’ve read, motion sickness is tied to the vestibular system in our ears. Pilots and astronauts go through serious training to overcome that dizzying spinning sensation, but for us everyday gamers, we don’t get that luxury. We’re just stuck dealing with it.
But we shouldn’t have to be.
I’ve spent hours digging through YouTube and forums, realizing there are a ton of gamers like me out there, just quietly suffering. They’re like grasshoppers in the grass—you don’t notice them until they jump out. I’ve scrolled through endless posts on beating motion sickness and realized everyone has their own take on what works.
After twenty years of dealing with this, I’ve come up with my own ways to manage motion sickness—except for games like Portal, those I still can’t handle.
So, I thought, why not share what I’ve learned and help you deal with your motion sickness too? I’ll recommend games based on your level of dizziness and write up some tips that fit your situation.
Because I’m a headache gamer myself, I know firsthand how much motion sickness can mess with you.
After thinking it through, I came up with this system:
Light Motion Sickness (LMS): Articles here are for gamers who experience just a bit of dizziness when playing 3D or video games. If you can play games like CSGO/CS2 or some mobile shooters (not PUBG Mobile) without crashing into walls too often, and you only start feeling dizzy after an hour or so, then you’re in this group. I’ll suggest games that work well for you and give tips on dealing with light dizziness.
Moderate Motion Sickness (MMS): These articles are for those who feel nausea or headaches when playing games with more intense 3D graphics and movement. If you get dizzy from racing, flying, or fighting games like Dragon Ball after a short time, you fall into this group. These games move smoother than LMS-level games, but the 3D movement is more intense. I’ll recommend games for you—mostly 2D, with a few manageable 3D titles thrown in.
Severe Motion Sickness (SMS): These articles are for gamers who can’t handle any 3D games without getting extremely dizzy or even vomiting. If you get sick from almost any 3D game, you’re in this group. You’ll mostly stick to 2D games, but I’ll share some methods that might help you tackle MMS-level games. Regardless, I know you’re eager to experience some of those AAA titles, so I’ll suggest games that come close in experience or even surpass them. For example, if Sekiro is all about skillful swordplay, Hollow Knight offers the same thrilling gameplay. You can totally dive into that instead.
This system makes sense to me, and I think it’ll help you too. I’ll mark each article with an easy-to-find number: [LMS0001], [MMS0001], and [SMS0001] so you can quickly search. I’ll also tailor my game recommendations to fit each group, helping you minimize motion sickness as much as possible.
Now, figure out which group you’re in, and let’s get started exploring the games that suit you!
Rahm Fan
09/07/2024
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