When virtual reality headsets starting hitting retail, we saw a spike in zero-g space shooters. About the same time, a lot of people started to learn about simulator sickness, a disorder where — for a variety of factors (nerd alert: I’ve studied this phenomenon at the neurological level) — people start to throw up and/or feel nauseous when placed in a VR simulation.
Today, a studio called Levity Play based out of Estonia has announced a multiplayer first-person, zero-G shooter called Skyfront VR. But unlike other similar games which have come and gone before it, Levity Play is making a bold claim: nausea-free gameplay.
The developers claim to be able to do this by making players move their hands in a 1-to-1 motion, the point of which being that the player’s body is mimicking the movements in the game, relieving the sensory dissonance that occurs, potentially causing nausea in some individuals.
As to whether this will actually bring about a “nausea-free” experience, we’ll wait and see. Scientifically we know there are other triggers for simulator sickness, but there’s no denying the sensory dissonance theory is the prevailing one at the moment.
We won’t wait long to find out, though. Skyfront VR is scheduled for a November 10 Early Access release and will be compatible with the Vive and Oculus Rift. Studio Levity Play will support Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch across 2 arenas during the Early Access period, with plans to support five game modes and five to six maps at launch.
