The increasing development of VR games, along with the (slowly) decreasing price of VR equipment, has many gamers thrilled for the future of virtual reality and gaming technology. However, some video game fans can't enjoy the cutting-edge entertainment through no fault of their own! Motion sickness is a common problem (especially among women), so much so that the equipment and games almost always come with a warning about possible nausea.
Regardless, though, the train of industry chugs onward, and VR games get better and better each year. Some new installments of game series, like Half-Life: Alyx, are only available in virtual reality format, and many old favorites, like Skyrim, have been ported over to be played in VR. For those who want to test the waters of VR games but are worried that their nausea will stand in the way, here are games that fans swear don't make them motion-sick.
Updated on January 9, 2022 by Belle Huston: VR Games have only grown more popular in recent years, and more affordable! We've updated this list to provide extra details about every game, including the VR platforms it's available for.
10 Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
- Genre: Party, Puzzle, Local Co-Op
- Number Of Players: 2+
- VR Platforms: PS VR, HTC Vive, Oculus, Google Daydream, Gear VR
- Non-VR Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, macOS X, Windows, Linus, iOS, Android
As far as cooperative VR experiences go, gamers can't go wrong with Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes. It's one of the few multiplayer VR games that only require one headset! The person wearing the VR gear needs to defuse a bomb, and everyone else reads the bomb-defusing manual to explain how it works.
Since the player wearing the headset stands still, just interacting with the bomb on the desk, there's not much opportunity to get motion sick. However, if the player is easily stressed out, this game still may not be for them.
9 Superhot VR
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Number Of Players: 1
- VR Platforms: Oculus, PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality, HTC Vive
- Non-VR Platforms: Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS X, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Nintendo Switch
Superhot VR emerged as one of the latest additions to the Superhot series, which first debuted as an entry in the 2013 7 Day FPS Challenge. The central concept it was built around was that time slows down, or stops, when the player isn't moving. Since then, Kickstarter funding allowed the Superhot team to develop into a full game.
Superhot VR is among PS4's best virtual reality games, and those who are motion-sensitive can still enjoy it! The simplistic graphics, time mechanics, and linear gameplay mean that Superhot doesn't nauseate gamers very easily.
8 Allumette
- Genre: Casual, Indie
- Number Of Players: 1
- VR Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus
Allumette is a touching story about a mother and daughter's love, loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl." The daughter lives in a fantastical city in the clouds, whose environment fully immerses the gamer, transporting them far away without saying a word.
The active component for the player is all about enjoying the story as it unfolds in front of them. The complicated, jarring motions and flashing lights that would usually set off the gamer's motion sickness are completely lost here.
7 Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
- Genre: Platformer
- Number Of Players: 1
- VR Platforms: PlayStation VR
Astro Bot features a cast of adorable robots first introduced in The Playroom. The player teams up with Captain Astro in order to save robots scattered across 5 distinct worlds, and find Space Chameleons hidden on each level. Collecting extra gadgets, like the water gun or the shuriken, increases the creative opportunities and keeps the gameplay engaging.
The VR experience is exciting, but still safe for motion-sensitive players since the gamer controls Captain Astro with their DualShock controller. When the PS5 was released, a sequel to Astro Bot, called Astro's Playroom was a featured launch title.
6 Half-Life: Alyx
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Number Of Players: 1
- VR Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus, Windows Mixed Reality
Most of the best games for motion-sensitive players are puzzlers since they generally allow the player to go at their own pace and don't involve too many flashing lights or movements. However, Half-Life: Alyx is one of the few exceptions.
The gamer controls Alyx Vance, using her gravity gloves to manipulate the environment (akin to the gravity gun from previous Half-Life installments). Despite the combat, it's been optimized to avoid nausea, and they include a teleportation option to move Alyx around if need be. Last year, it won the 2020 VR Game of the Year Award and was the top-selling VR game on Steam.
5 Tumble
- Genre: Puzzle
- Number Of Players: 1-2
- VR Platforms: PlayStation VR
Tumble is a fun — and cheap! — VR game that's easy to pick up and play. It's a reimagining of a previous game for the PlayStation 3 that challenges the player to test their building-block skills.
This surprisingly addictive game creates a space for you to build in, so there's no need to run, jump, fly, or otherwise move and shake around the human brain. Motion-sensitive players can be safe in the knowledge that this familiar puzzler is still as accessible as ever.
4 I Expect You To Die 2
- Genre: Puzzle, Adventure
- Number Of Players: 1
- VR Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus, Windows Mixed Reality
I Except You To Die 2 is among the games which prove that VR is the next big trend in modern technology. This delightful puzzle game sets the player as a secret agent doing secret missions for a secret master. It's a bit like a virtual escape room. The title doesn't lie - players are bound to die a lot - but it's a blast to play regardless!
Gamers have to move around and interact with their environment, but this is no racing simulator. Motion-sensitive players will have no trouble solving the problems and falling into the life of a spy.
3 Star Trek: Bridge Crew
- Genre: Action-Adventure
- Number Of Players: 1-4
- VR Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus, Windows Mixed Reality, PlayStation VR
- Non-VR Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows
Star Trek: Bridge Crew is one of the best VR games for the Oculus Rift headset, for good reason. It's multiplayer, developed by Ubisoft, and lets sci-fi fans live out their fantasy of being on the bridge of their own spaceship.
Since players take on the job of a crewmate, the game isn't disorienting for motion-sensitive people. Gamers chose to play as a captain, tactical officer, engineer, or helm officer, each with their own unique responsibilities which they need to communicate to their team.
2 The Last Labyrinth
- Genre: Escape-The-Room
- Number Of Players: 1
- VR Platforms: PlayStation VR, Oculus, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality Headset, Valve Index, Pico Neo
The Last Labyrinth is a gamified "escape-the-room" experience. The player is trapped in an old mansion, with only a little girl for company. Their captor, a person whose identity is cloaked by a masquerade mask and block robes, is an ominous presence. To make things worse, the girl only speaks a foreign language, so communication is doomed.
By mysteriously latching the player to a chair with chains and leather straps, The Last Labyrinth creates a motion-sickness-proof experience. Instead, they have to direct their companion, the eerie young girl, to solve puzzles and avoid certain doom.
1 Moss
- Genre: Adventure, Puzzle
- Number Of Players: 1
- VR Platforms: HTC Vive, Valve Index, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, PlayStation VR
In Moss, the player finds an old book in a library and is transported to a magical forest. They meet a little mouse named Quill and journey to help her save her uncle. There's a series of first-person and third-person puzzles for them to traverse throughout the forest.
Gamers will want to find the best VR headset to enjoy this gorgeous game! The soft light pouring through the forest canopy, the breathy music, and the friendly characters create a comfortable gaming environment for even the most nauseous.