VR can be amazing. There is nothing on this planet that can provide the same experiences it can. That includes real life.

Something like experiencing floating through space, gazing at an alien sunset and feeling like your body is actually there* without having to deal with pesky things like inventing FTL, radiation shielding, and artificial gravity and whatnot is pretty cool.

* It's amazing how easily our senses are fooled, even with imperfect hardware.

There are plenty of places on this planet where you can rent a real sports car and race around a real track against real people for real.

Until your VR headset emits the smell of burning fuel, rumbles your body so hard that you feel it for hours afterward, deafens you with engine and tire noise, throws so much mud on the screen that your pit crew uses tear-off sheets of plastic to clear it because wipers are useless, and provides a non-zero chance of actually being hurt or dying, your video game is just game.

IRL > VR

The way the view tilts and moves with one's head, combined with the audio alignment, creates a surreal experience.

Whether IRL is better or worse than VR is entirely subjective.

Now, I do agree that real life can provide things that VR can't. Many, many things even. That was not the subject however; it was: "Why would anyone want to give themselves motion sickness for a VR game?"

Your racecar example is a perfect example. It would be dangerous and costly. Would it be better than VR racing? I think so. Would I be able to actually do it? Hell no. I suspect most people would answer the same.

Yes, I know expensive and costly are basically the same thing.

VR is fun despite some discomfort, much like other experiences like roller coasters. I'd volunteer to participate in such a study because I'd like to do more VR than my body can naturally tolerate.

> Will people who condition themselves too well to tolerate VR entertainment also break their vestibular system

Definitely worth studying! From the few I've heard adapt, no, it doesn't make them significantly more likely to have balance problems.

For reference I've been playing VR since my early 20s (now early 30s) and never once experienced motion sickness. I have tried every style of game/locomotion, both well polished and incredibly janky, and have had 6hr+ sessions without interruption.

I'm pretty interested in this and would like to participate in a study as well if given the opportunity. I think one of the potential causes and solutions is it being a self-fulfilling prophecy that may be overcome with self-efficacy as described here [1] for seasickness. My only evidence is that I never knew motion sickness was a possibility when I first tried VR, and my friends with the worst motion sickness were worried about it before they even tried VR, even if they never get seasick or carsick.

From the article and other comments, they also mention figure skating which I never thought of before, and I play ice hockey which is likely similar enough.

[1] https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.8...

The sense I get from the article is that "VR balance" isn't essentially different from or opposed to ordinary balance; it's just a greater test of one's balance than one ordinarily encounters in daily life. People who have trained their balance - like figure skaters - find VR less of a challenge; performing exercises which improve one's balance - like the "flamingo stance" described in the article - makes VR experiences easier.

Cybersickness endurance games. The person who can make themself the most cybersick wins. Ranked competitive matches with loot box mechanics. People will do pretty much anything when competition is involved.