Exploring the Effects of Field of View and Opacity of Peripheral Real Scene on Virtual Reality Sickness

In this paper, we investigate the effects of the field of view (FoV) and the opacity of the peripheral real scene (OPRS) on Virtual Reality Sickness (VRS). A between-subjects study with 130 participants was conducted with thirteen study conditions: one baseline condition (fully immersive virtual view without any real scene in the periphery) and 3×4 FoV and OPRS conditions—three FoV levels (30°, 60°, and 90°) and four OPRS levels (N/A, 1, 0.75, and 0.25). In the study, participants experienced a virtual roller-coaster ride, and their VRS symptoms and perception were measured both objectively and subjectively through heart rate variability (HRV) frequency and the virtual reality sickness questionnaire (VRSQ). The preliminary results revealed a significant difference in VRS among the conditions, particularly in the HRV signal. This suggests that the FoV and OPRS factors may affect the degree of VRS, providing a basis for further detailed analysis of these variables’ additional impacts.