Home / Component / Virtual Reality / Updated: VR headset probably didn’t cause eye swelling

Updated: VR headset probably didn’t cause eye swelling

Update: We've spoken with registered optometrist, Simon Matthews MCOptom BSc(Hons) FBDO CL, who tells us that from the photo the swelling looks to be an “oedema” of the lids, which is more likely to be caused by an allergic reaction than an infection or pressure from the headset itself.

He told us that the most likely cause for this would be pet hair getting into Clark's eye and that the swelling would likely go down within a week without any problems.

KitGuru Says: Of course we still hope Clark gets his eye looked at in person by a doctor of some kind, but it's good to know that VR headsets are unlikely to turn us all into fluid filled, face-sacks any time soon. Thanks to Simon for reaching out.

Original Store: VR headset users who find themselves drifting off in virtual worlds beware, one user who reportedly used his for sleeping several nights on the trot, has woken to find himself with serious eye swelling. It's not clear if the headset rested oddly on his face, or if it was the repeat usage, but it's worth knowing for any intrepid VR explorers.

Paul “Gooboberti” Clark has been using his VR headset for a while now and this week began recreating his real world inside the AnyLand VR landscape creator, which lets you build and interact with whatever you want in VR. However after a couple of hours of building and modelling in the evening, Clark has also been sleeping there, in a virtual sleeping bag, on a virtual sofa – though also in that same position in the real world.

This lead to some strange instances of being woken up in VR, by his VR friends. [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed-UW1Yd-2U']

However it also seems to have lead to serious eye swelling, as reported by Clark himself on the AnyLand Facebook page.

“This is day 6 of me waking up in Virtual Reality after a long modeling and animation session within the pocket universe assigned to me by Anyland,” he said. “Every night this past week I spent at least 8-11 hours straight in VR (including time leading up to my slumber to the actual sleep period). I started having negative facial effects around day 2. Here is a picture of my face from this morning, right after I took the goggles off.”

anylandface

Source: Paul Clark/Facebook

To its credit, AnyLand developers did encourage Clark to visit a doctor when this news emerged and released a message on their Facebook page to discourage people from sleeping with their headset on.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Consider this our PSA guys. Be careful sleeping in VR. Maybe wait for a second or third generation headset that are a little lighter on the face. 

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5 comments

  1. OMG…I am sorry but this is totally lame as hell. The game itself looks like something from 1998 sorry but it’s the truth. I also trhink this guy and the others spending this much time in this VR land need to really get out outside and smell the roses so they get some fresh air in other words go get a real life do not try to live it in this VR land. Sleeping in it as well with the headset on. How could he think this would be a good idea? Does he work or does he live at home in his parents house? I was going to say in his parents basement but I did not want to stereo type him into that demographic…lol

    Other than that all I can think of is dude you did it to yourself do not even think about suing any of the companies in court you will lose and it will make you look even more pathetic than you do already. If I seem like I am being to hard on the guy sorry but come on already leave the game and go live a life go get a job and find yourself a nice girlfriend and nice place to live. Some will say hey maybe he has all of that already my reply is well if he did his face would not look like that right now because he would have been way to busy living life to spend countless hours sucking back his parents power and eating their food.

  2. -“The game itself looks like something from 1998 sorry but it’s the truth.”
    -Hate to burst your bubble, but that’s an opinion, not a fact. It might be your truth, but it sure as hell isn’t mine.

    -“Does he work or does he live at home in his parents house? I was going to say in his parents basement but I did not want to stereo type him into that demographic…lol”
    -You just did.

    -“Other than that all I can think of is dude you did it to yourself do not even think about suing any of the companies in court you will lose and it will make you look even more pathetic than you do already.”
    -I’m guessing this is an american thing, yes?

    -“If I seem like I am being to hard on the guy sorry but come on already leave the game and go live a life go get a job and find yourself a nice girlfriend and nice place to live.”
    -Seems to me like you’re projecting your own wishes onto him.

    -“…well if he did his face would not look like that right now because he would have been way to busy living life to spend countless hours sucking back his parents power and eating their food.”
    -This again?

    “I just wanted to add that I am really trying to be more positive in all of my new posts when I decide to make a comment about something but this story made it really hard to try to find anything positive to say.”
    – Try harder.

  3. Wouldn’t it be possible for him to have a reaction from some chemical given off by the headset during it’s use? I mean all electronics bleed out a little with the heat of use and the initial ‘burn off’ has higher concentrations, so a lack of ventilation could have brought concentrations to levels his body reacted to. A possibility worth looking into, as if that is the case then some sort of ventilation modification would need to be made for marathon VR sessions.

  4. He doesn’t live at his parent’s house first of all and he is actually very active. He rides his bike and jogs and also served in the military fyi.

  5. The ‘game’ doesn’t need high end graphics…. same as you don’t need a gold plated art pen to do a great drawing….. I am a professional graphic designer and create in Anyland and when your actually in there it’s as solid and real as anything else.

    Goob is a really nice guy and it was unfortunate about his eye, but he is learning and trying something new and seeing how it feels.

    His idea what to envelop himself in the reality to see how it feels…. which is a fair enough experiment really.