Has anyone else's eyesight deteriorated after more than a year of VR?

[BigDuke6ixx]

I am short sighted so you would think I would be fine in the rift.

Why would you think that?

 

[Kemo]

I've always had excellent eyesight, never needed glasses, however, this year I've been struggling to read small print (cannot read the tiny text on the back of a dvd case now) - i'm 46.

I now need glasses to read comfortably in the evenings, but during the day i'm fine, so it seems to be a tiredness thing.

I'm saving up for a Rift, I hope my peepers hold in there long enough for me to use and enjoy it!

 

[RoninCahill]

just had an eye test for other reasons but im 20-20. make sure the eye adjustment is exactly your size or headaches and such will happen. took me a couple weeks to get the 63.3 setting I was out by .3 or .4 and was really working to feel the difference but eventually got it. no issues for months now.

 

[Frank]

Hello everyone.

Welcome to the poor eyesight club!

 

[drkaii]

I was thought it was a well known fact that the lenses in the rift and Vive focus the light off the panels to the same as light reflected off a far off surface, I don't have sources but my personal experience with the rift and Vive support this claim.

If it wasn't, me and other myopic users wouldn't need glasses in them, like we obviously do.
Whereas my brother in law who is mostly far sighted does not.

I also have some weird contacts on trial basis that aren't dialed in yet, I don't really like wearing contacts since often they don't correct as much as my glasses do so normally they aren't worth the expense, but of course vr looks and feels better without lenses but that is beside the point.

these contacts seem to be somewhat skewed in near field but fine at distances outside of 2.5m.
Doing, stuff, with these are quite weird but using them in VR I don't notice anything to the skew at all.

Also, in general, fatigue plays a huge part in eyesight and cognition, this is why fitness is huge deal in special forces, police or other quick response professions. Well at least it should be.

If you are fatigued or just plain tired. You are able to focus less on details. You over all field of view narrows.

As for 40-50 yes that's the most common age, but your eyesight changes considerably throughout and 20/20 isn't actually very good, it's just not bad.

As mentioned I have been dependent on glasses since I was 8 years old. And for those 28 years I have been updating my prescription almost annually, and my glasses cost about as much as the rift does.
Some years I have needed less change than others but there has also been leaps.

Now as I have hit the 30+ I have been moving from a -4.5 myopia towards a -4.
In short if it's more than 8 inches from my face, I can't focus on it without glasses...

Best of luck

Thanks for the detailed reply. Lots to gleam from it, but at least we know that the focal distance is at least beyond 8 inches. I would like to know if it is 1.3m or infinity though. I like the fatigue thing extended to a wide range of things that include focus being impaired. Also, the skew is if your eyes aren't aligned properly, which is probably more likely with glasses affecting the positioning. Try moving the right down your face more and hopefully that will fix it. Let me know

Hello everyone.

Welcome to the poor eyesight club!

Thanks! And thanks to all the other responses, so far nobody has had the same experience as me so that's reassuring.

 

[TorTorden_VR]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Lots to gleam from it, but at least we know that the focal distance is at least beyond 8 inches. I would like to know if it is 1.3m or infinity though. I like the fatigue thing extended to a wide range of things that include focus being impaired. Also, the skew is if your eyes aren't aligned properly, which is probably more likely with glasses affecting the positioning. Try moving the right down your face more and hopefully that will fix it. Let me know



Thanks! And thanks to all the other responses, so far nobody has had the same experience as me so that's reassuring.

No no the skew I mentioned wasnt with the rift lenses put the contacts, in near field but far field viewing and VR they are fine.

But I mostly just wear my glasses anyways.

Biggest issue I have with my rift is that my face seems to consist partly of memory foam.
I wear it for ten minutes and I have the oculus logo branded on my face until next morning...

 

[Finbar]

Strangely, my poor vision isn't "blurriness" per se, but more like horizontal splitting. I find it harder to read words because they kind of double, the original above, and the second version slightly below, and kinda glowing.

For me short sightedness just produces a blur.

Double vision is potentially serious so I would get that appointment as soon as possible personally.

As always the NHS (UK's public health service) website has useful and reliable information- check:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Double-vision/Pages/Introduction.aspx

 

[drkaii]

For me short sightedness just produces a blur.

Double vision is potentially serious so I would get that appointment as soon as possible personally.

As always the NHS (UK's public health service) website has useful and reliable information- check:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Double-vision/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Nothing in that chart has particularly worried me to be honest as none of it seems to fit. I will consult an optician this week, and possibly book in with a GP depending on what he/she says. Thanks though, I appreciate that

p.s. I made this reddit about it and I've had plenty of responses, and in combination with the responses here I am convinced it is nothing to do with the rift. Thanks everyone! Such a relief!
https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/529q0n/has_anyone_elses_eyesight_deteriorated_after_more/

 

[jevens]

Strangely, my poor vision isn't "blurriness" per se, but more like horizontal splitting. I find it harder to read words because they kind of double, the original above, and the second version slightly below, and kinda glowing.

Is that what short sightedness is actually like? I've always thought of it as just blur

I used to be slightly short sighted and that basically meant I couldn't focus on far away objects, which appeared as you say - blurry.

I'm 36 now and last year the optician told me I'd got astigmatism so we changed my glasses.

Earlier today (in a rare moment without my glasses on) I noticed exactly that same thing, a strange kinda doubling thing on the edges of objects and text.
I've never noticed that before, I thought maybe the rift is affecting my eyesight, it went away as soon as I put my glasses back on, but a bit weird that you mentioned that same thing, I've been using the rift ALOT lately!

 

[drkaii]

I actually suspect it might be to do with dryness. I'm also going to try some moisturising eyedrops (I've used whitening ones before and they didn't help - oh and don't ask why )

The doubling is extremely slight. It kinda is very similar to the doubling you get in the rift if you are slightly misaligned btw...

I wonder if my body is adapting to life in VR. That is worrying (and so cool!)

EDIT: P.s. I can fix my vision almost perfectly by squinting. But that's normal I guess.

 

[TorTorden_VR]

That is what astigmatism does.

Google definition:
Astigmatism:
" a defect in the eye or in a lens caused by a deviation from spherical curvature, which results in distorted images, as light rays are prevented from meeting at a common focus. "

Double vision is probably used for far more serious cases, like actually seeing double.
If I for example relax my eyesz especially when tired, I go cross eyed and see double.
I also wind up looking down on my nose, as well as seeing two very blurry 50" plasmas.

We can only theorise here, for something certain someone with an actual skill ophthalmologist or at least optometrist need to actually test you.

Best I can suggest is to maybe try not using VR for a day or two and see if this improves for you.
Might just be VR lenses trigger your eyes to work in a manner they aren't accustomed to and this triggers it.

As I said. I haven't had vr for more than a few months but I have been playing Elite in vr since, at least two hours a day if not more, a six hour session isn't out of the question, although I often take hydration breaks since I can't drink in vr, well at least not comfortably (actually me beer consumption has dropped to like a third)

If anything my eyes feel more relaxed with vr than before, but that was because I used the tobii eye tracker and had to be super conscious about where I looked with it.

 

[TorTorden_VR]

I actually suspect it might be to do with dryness. I'm also going to try some moisturising eyedrops (I've used whitening ones before and they didn't help - oh and don't ask why )

The doubling is extremely slight. It kinda is very similar to the doubling you get in the rift if you are slightly misaligned btw...

I wonder if my body is adapting to life in VR. That is worrying (and so cool!)

EDIT: P.s. I can fix my vision almost perfectly by squinting. But that's normal I guess.

That, sound like astigmatism, (your last post came as I was typing mine, on the phone while watching anime)
And if it is, it should be easily corrected with glasses or contacts.
Also again, often eyes and the brain will try to compensate for these things, especially when they happen gradually, but this also increases fatigue and will eventually cause headaches.
And the process of compensating for such things often end up aggravating the issue over time if not taken care of.

 

[drkaii]

I would have assumed that astigmatism would be constant, rather than come on during the day unless you are saying that's the compensation? Anyway I've booked an appt. with an optician so we shall see! Thanks for the advice!

 

[TorTorden_VR]

I would have assumed that astigmatism would be constant, rather than come on during the day unless you are saying that's the compensation? Anyway I've booked an appt. with an optician so we shall see! Thanks for the advice!

I'm certainly no expert, and far far past the point where I can really claim any knowledge, but I think\suspect all the little muscles in and around your eye will work to give the brain the best possible image, and what the eye doesn't fix your brain might just fake, to a point.

In other words, I think the astigmatism is always there, your eyes and brain automatically work to negate it until it can't keep it up any more.
I sort of hope at least, since that will be easily explained and is easily corrected with glasses and some contacts or other solutions, and thus not a symptom of something far more nefarious.

Best of luck, and I hope it goes well with the optician.

 

[Beavis Tingleball]

I dont want to go on the cart!..im 37!

 

[[HJ]-RedRaven]

I'm also going to try some moisturising eyedrops (I've used whitening ones before and they didn't help - oh and don't ask why )

TOO MUCH ONIONHEAD!

I would have assumed that astigmatism would be constant, rather than come on during the day unless you are saying that's the compensation? Anyway I've booked an appt. with an optician so we shall see! Thanks for the advice!

I'm glad you made that appointment!

As someone who'd had multiple eye issues (detached retinas, extreme short-sight, cataracts at 41, the list goes on) - everyone should have an eye checkup once a year, and if you notice ANYTHING different about your vision, go see your GP as soon as possible. Many eye problems are very gradual onset - but by the the time you notice them, the damage is great.

I hope your eyes are ok DrKaii - let us know how you go.

Age is a big factor in eyesight, and it's frightening when something happens to your vision. Many don't understand how precious vision is until you nearly lose it.
Astigmatism is constant, yes. Effects due to tiredness are generally temporary.

I've noticed I don't blink as often as I should do when in the Rift. Fixed with a bit of practice and some of those tear drops as well.

I'm long/far-sighted now, after having my cataract-clouded lenses replaced. I'm now fixed focus, so use glasses for reading and computer work, but I can see my feet clearly, and everything else (driving etc no glasses needed).

In the Rift, I don't need glasses, so the "at least 1.3m focal length" reported on Reddit and elsewhere is correct for the Rift CV1. If it were less, I'd lose clarity since my focal length is now fixed at approx 1.3m. After this distance, your eyes are relaxed and close to infinity focal length (it varies a little between people).

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

If you don't mind me asking, what distance do things get blurry for you? roughly

Things get blurry after about 1 foot. I think I will need bifocals soon as well due to close up stuff getting difficult to focus on with my glasses on now.
Age does have it disadvantages.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

I am not an optometrist so keep that in mind when I give my opinion

When looking at a monitor your eyes are fixed on a set focal point which can tire your eyes.

In the rift whilst the screen is close to your eyes ,your eyes are relaxed and focussed to infinity so I would say a long stint in vr is arguably better than a long stint on a monitor .of course you should take breaks from both but who does that?.

In the last 20 years my eyesight has plummeted from -0.5 to -3.5 short sightedness. in the last 2 years however (which is the same period as having vr) they have been stable.

 

[dogbite]

I would have assumed that astigmatism would be constant, rather than come on during the day unless you are saying that's the compensation? Anyway I've booked an appt. with an optician so we shall see! Thanks for the advice!

When you visit your optician ask for your IPD and dial it in to your HMD. You may also find +or- 1 of this number more comfortable.

 

[StiTch]

Personally I had a toenail that grew into my toe, but ignored it until it was leaking and half my foot was turning black, just swallow any macho pride and see a doctor.