The Mirror (via FenixBazaar) has recently reported that VR gaming headsets, such as the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive or PlayStation VR, could potentially cause short-sightedness in users.
“With virtual reality headsets about to experience a real boom, we are setting up the next generation of gamers for some potentially serious eye problems,” said Dr David Allamby of London’s Focus Clinic.
“Parents and younger people need to know the risks. With VR, we’re going to potentially see more and more people suffering from a lack of exposure to daylight – something which affects the way our eyes naturally grow and which can lead to short-sightedness, or ‘myopia’.
“And because VR prevents our eyes from naturally focusing at a far distance, this too can speed-up the progression of myopia.”
Dr Allamby added that VR headsets could also mean that select users forget to blink normally, causing dry eye.
“And it’s not something to be taken lightly,” he insisted. “Over a prolonged period of time, dry eye can lead to extreme pain, with sufferers sometimes describing it as being stabbed in their eyes.”
Are you taking Dr Allamby’s words to heart, or do you think it’s a bit of doomsaying before the launch of the PlayStation VR system later this month?
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