Gaming - and photosensitivity?

[minnin90]

So I literally just had my first physically odd feeling while playing a video game. I bought Gotham Knights on sale, on my Series S, and I now realize there is something to this, for me.

At first it was fine but when I used the bat-pod and traveled Gotham City over as quick as possible I became pretty dang sick -- dizzy, lightheaded,etc. Not fun. The game was ok, the feeling not.

Anyone take many years to find something in gaming that makes you photosensitive? Or just deal with it in general?

 

[Metal Messiah.]

That's a pretty common behavior witnessed by gamers playing games. Even I get stressed out when I play for more than 4-5 hours in a row. I used to get some flashing disturbance in my eyes after a long session of gaming.

So we need to take a break while gaming.

Actually, a small percentage of gamers may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may experience these “photosensitive epileptic seizures” while playing video games.

These seizures can cause the following, lightheadedness, heavy head, altered/blurred vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions in some rare cases, but not all.

Actually never play a game if you are feeling drowsy or/and are fatigued/stressed out.

 

[logainofhades]

I get headaches, playing FPS titles.

 

[Metal Messiah.]

I remember while playing Borderlands 3, DOOM Eternal, HARD RESET (an insanely fast-paced title), and the "Serious Sam" series of FPS games, at one time how I almost passed out for a minute or two, and my head was spinning pretty badly. Some fast-paced FPS games can cause a lot of stress to the mind/body.

Though, not all FPS titles are fast-paced. CRYSIS series and COD games and others are okay for me.

But I blame myself for this since I shouldn't have played fast-paced FPS games for at least 6-7 hours daily ! I'm kind of addicted to First-person shooters though. But when I play any RPG or open-world like SKYRIM, Witcher 3, or even Assassin's Creed (using stealth), then there are no such side effects or hangover from gaming.

I can only speak for myself though, lol.

 

[Gam3r01]

As always, even if it seems minor, make sure to mention this to your primary care physician on your next visit. Its likely an isolated incident, but worth brining up.
I also recommend having another light source on whenever using your PC (be that the sun or a lamp). I found it reduces eye strain greatly.

I personally dont experience any photosensitivity, but I do get motion sick from certain games.

 

[minnin90]

As always, even if it seems minor, make sure to mention this to your primary care physician on your next visit. Its likely an isolated incident, but worth brining up.
I also recommend having another light source on whenever using your PC (be that the sun or a lamp). I found it reduces eye strain greatly.

I personally dont experience any photosensitivity, but I do get motion sick from certain games.

Thanks,

also I am glad you mentioned motion sickness -- as that was another symptom I had with Gotham Knights -- then today just played Assassins Creed: Valhalla, a bit of Witcher 3, and I'm fine. But yes definitly going to bring this up to my doctor! =)

 

[drivinfast247]

60 fps MINIMUM! Even then, I get eye strain and slight headache after some time. 30fps is unplayable for me. Once framerates get up to around 90fps it's very comfortable for me.

That game I believe is locked to 30fps on console. I couldn't do it!

 

[minnin90]

60 fps MINIMUM! Even then, I get eye strain and slight headache after some time. 30fps is unplayable for me. Once framerates get up to around 90fps it's very comfortable for me.

That game I believe is locked to 30fps on console. I couldn't do it!

i don't think fps is what got me, it was all the lighting and quickness - in gotham, i mean. My brother said the first two Bat games messed with him....but it didn't me...anywho...so far I'm good today. I personally will probably never re-try Gotham Knights again, even tho I felt it was ok.

 

[Metal Messiah.]

By the way, it's no surprise that a LOT of PC games these days have this Epilepsy/seizure warning once you boot up the game, before the main menu screen shows up. In fact one journalist/editor of Game Informer website, Liana Ruppert, suffered a major seizure attack while playing Cyberpunk 2077 game.

She had a "grand mal seizure" to be more precise. Kind of scary though. Read the full article here. It's 2 years old news though:

‘Cyberpunk 2077’ reviewer suffered a seizure, then worked to make the game safer - The Washington Post

I was just scouring the internet and found the following warning messages in some of the games being released recently (Sorry, was just getting bored !). There are even more games having this boot up warning.

STAR CITIZEN:

FAR CRY 6:

Cyberpunk 2077:

Dead by Daylight:

Tom Clancy's The DIVISION:

Just Shapes & Beats:

FAR CRY New Dawn:

 

[minnin90]

Indeed! Scary! I still have not had that episode since Gotham Knights, Playing the Witcher next gen as we speak, even the fast horse back gameplay -- doesn't bother me. Or the spells/magic lights. I guess I'm in the clear, for now. But yes be careful all!

 

[Exploding PSU]

I found out that I have photosensitivity (or perhaps some sort of seizure) while playing Prototype over a decade ago on my friend's laptop. I was still a junior high freshman when it happened. For the record, I wasn't new to video games, had been playing Playstation regularly before that, but I was still really new to the world of PC gaming. I had played few PC games prior to that, mostly simple 2D games like whatever PopCap games used to put out back then like Insaniquarium, Plants vs Zombies, Zuma, the very simple games, so Prototype, a much more complex 3D game, was a whole new experience to me.

My friend's laptop was WAY underpowered to play the game. And I mean it. I was playing at 15-20 FPS average, at lowest setting possible and lowest resolution, so it looked like absolute garbage, but it was still exciting to my inexperienced younger self.

Anyway after only played it for half an hour or so, I felt a bit lightheaded and it was difficult for me to focus. I chalked it to the fast-paced nature of the game and me being new to the genre, so I brushed it off.

Bad decision.

Later on I was salivating like mad, then I was hit with the worst headache I've ever felt in my life, like my head was being cleaved in two with a scythe, then this began to fill my vision (I didn't know what they called). I vomitted my entire lunch out, and was sent home (happened when I was at the school).

I still didn't know why, the game didn't really have flashing images or bright lights, but I suspect it was the janky animations (due to the low frame rate) making tiny little elements on the screen change rapidly.

 

[Deleted member 2951529]

I had the biggest motion sickness so far with RE6. Something about the game's FOV does it for me, and not only me. Just walking and moving the camera a little was enough for me to start feeling bad. Still finished it though.

And playing through entire DOOM Eternal wasn't as bad as a moment of RE6.

I love playing fast paced games slowly because brain goes "oh no!" if I don't chill. Sometimes I pretend to be a IGN journalist doing a gameplay video lol.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

This can also be causaed by Vertigo, as odd as it sounds! As above. A checkout with your GP (Doctor) to be sure there's no underlying cause.

I've only really had that kinda feeling when playing VR, but after playing Star wars: Squadrons, I don't get any motion sickness at all now.

 

[Lolkekwq]

I thought I was the only one who got dizzy playing games.
But I only get that with shooters. And just sit down and play for 15 minutes, I start to feel dizzy, nauseous and my eyes hurt. And the most interesting thing is that this happens only when I play shooters. In games of other genres this does not happen.
I don't know why it's like this.