Oculus Quest 2 - Will VR Damage Your Eyes? 4 Dangers You NEED To Know!

[@DrEyeGuy]

👉Are you getting the Quest 3? Here are some tips to help with the blur! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGTOo2t8gpdgfrs

[@DrEyeGuy]

UPDATE: I never fully mentioned what the 20/20/20 rule is in the video: Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break while looking 20 feet away. Make sure you relax and blink your eyes during the break, and consider using an artificial tear.

[@markusaurelius4015]

My father’s an eye doctor and uses the same rule.

[@skepticofdoom7486]

Wow i have been doing this for years by accident. Sure it was just going outside to smoke a bong but it's the same thing right? At least for the eyes lol.

[@RusticRaver]

What about lense mod, some people use glass part of gear VR on htc vive, creates pupil swim, what is you opinion about that? htc does not recommend.

[@DFX2KX]

It's also not just the screens or lenses that can be hard on your eyes (hence breaks). The Quest's heat vent is right by the top strap, and some of that hot air gets under the facial interface. If the game is demanding for the Quest itself, you might want to double the breaks just to get some cooler air on your eyeballs. If you're a contact (singular in my case, lefty's just there for symmetry :\) wearer, it'll dry them out super fast (at least it does with my disposables). The 20/20/20 rule is great. Given the aforementioned blind eye, some old Cardboard apps let you feed both eyes into one eye (no Quest 2 apps that I know of, sadly) and it was neat to get a tiny sense of what it's like for the rest of y'all. Also seems to have helped with my related Nystagmus to some extent, and I've got no idea why that is. Glasses-users should also be aware that the lenses can get scratched by (or scratch) your glasses if you're not careful. That's what the spacer on the Quest is for but it's not perfect. They DO make proscription lens protectors, though! Expensive, but might be worth it. (yours truly is tempted)

[@takeyourheart114]

Artificial tear? Fake cry?

[@hughmac7423]

I've been using VR since 2016, I am near sighted and my eye sight is improving. I have had no bad side affects, as I blink and take breaks.

[@DrEyeGuy]

You are doing it right... nice job.

[@__.....]

@@DrEyeGuy Just out of coursity can can a Quest 2 damage eyesight?

[@__.....]

As in permanently

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@__..... That is the big question right now. Same questions are asked for phone and computer use.... and they are still studying the full effects of those on our eyes. I feel like we won't know this answer for a while.

[@__.....]

@@DrEyeGuy Fair for me there is no Effect but I guess it is still a subject being studied

[@GalaxiteAus]

He doesn’t say “using it too much will ruin your sight in the future” like most parents. He goes into detail. He’s a good man.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thank you for saying that... I appreciate it.

[@ThePhantom1919]

Thank you for this video, Dr. EyeGuy. I just purchased a VR for the first time and was worried about the effects it can have on my eyes. Your video made me feel better about it, not like some other videos out there, just straight scaring people off.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thank you, I seriously appreciate this comment a lot. I was hoping to find that balance of possible dangers, but also can be ok to play VR. I play VR and love it.

[@UnlikeFlyer]

1:30 Me: *starts blinking pretty fast*

[@DrEyeGuy]

Haha! That's good.

[@realm7569]

True tho LOL

[@HurtSambo]

"Try not to play too close to bedtime" Me playing at 2:00AM: Oh yeah! I would never!

[@TheNickness]

Lol I just played until 3am last night

[@melaniewagner8637]

I've watched 2 videos so far and they are soooo helpful! Another key point is that you jump right to the point of the video - you get right to it and don't waste time - I appreciate that! Thanks for creating these videos...

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thank you for the nice comment. I'm trying to get better and better and getting to the point... it's tricky sometimes.

[@Vault_and_Brae_Productions]

You mentioned how we tend not to blink as much with screens, thats something I never really noticed and thought about, but now that I am thinking about it, I am realizing that I rarely blink at all when im looking at a screen. Maybe something that could help with that is breaks, and maybe trying to blink more often while your looking at a screen. Good info I use the Quest 2 a LOT and I've been noticing that my eyes seem to be more painful after I use it. I play this shooter game called Pavlov, and I usually have to close my right eye a lot to aim. During the days I don't use VR, I don't really notice problems with my eyes. But the days I do, I can almost always remember having a small period of time where they hurt.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Yeah.. timed breaks will be your best friend.

[@DFX2KX]

eyedrops are your friends with the Quest, even with taking regular breaks. I just have to make a conscious effort myself. Blink a few times, close the eyes for half a second and wiggle the eyes around under the lids, then blink a few more times...

[@AnimatorZeeVIDEO]

As an artist and someone getting into VR for the first time, this was a really helpful and educational watch! I really like that you go over the benefits as well so it isn't nothing but doomsaying and "technology bad" like I tend to hear in some other places. That note about widespread nearsightedness was pretty interesting! Thank you so much for making this video!

[@DrEyeGuy]

Wow, thank you for such a thoughtful comment. I really do appreciate it.

[@angryox3102]

My Quest 2 has helped my vision. After a few months of ownership my lazy eye went away. At first I had a hard time focusing in VR, once I trained myself how to focus on VR it carried over to real life too.

[@BradSmith99]

I've been using VR for a couple of months now and been experiencing flashes and floaters afterwards. Turns out its PVD which is where the jelly inside your eye starts to deteriorate which normally happens in people in their 60s (I'm 24) scary stuff! Wonder if it was the VR that exacerbated it

[@DrEyeGuy]

That is unusual to have that at that age. I haven't seen any link of VR use with floaters or changes in the vitreous. Thanks for commenting this, I'll keep my eyes and ears open for new reports.

[@BradSmith99]

My optometrist was pretty vague on causes, any ideas? Do you think it will give me any issues later in life?

[@DrEyeGuy]

@BradSmith99 without looking at your eyes I wouldn't be able to know.

[@stealthproductionz6648]

I just got a oculus quest 2 2 days ago and this will help me keep track. I do notice that I don't blink as much when playing a horror VR game. My brain just thinks,if u blink,you're gonna get killed. But for some reason with subnautica VR,I blink normally. I think seeing a bunch of water is making my brain think to blink more.

[@darkshadow-1613]

I personally play vr a lot longer than I should because of the colorblind filter I have on it, so it makes everything so cool and I see colors and I never want to take it off

[@Jay-Ryan]

I think there are glasses for that now, isn't there?

[@arcanez2763]

@@Jay-Ryan glasses help differentiate you cant see more colors... sadly

[@Jay-Ryan]

@@arcanez2763 😥

[@darkshadow-1613]

@@Jay-Ryan yes, but they are pretty expensive and it usually takes a while to put perscriptions in, and I’m trying to be careful not to waste any money

[@MegaJimbob125]

Well weird thing is my dad in his 70's says if he uses a phone for 2 minutes his eyes go blurry and double vision but he can use VR for hours with no problems. He loves it actually, me too!

[@DrEyeGuy]

That's great, I'm guessing it's because the focal point for VR is set for distance, and not up close.

[@Kriswixx]

1980s Son, don't sit so close to THE tv IT'LL hurt your yes. 2021 - **tv 1inch from eyes**

[@DrEyeGuy]

2031 (or sooner) - vr/tv ON your eye with a contact lens 2041 - vr implant in your eye

[@islandvibez]

@@DrEyeGuy with neuralinl, push that date to 2030s* ish for an implant 😂

[@islandvibez]

Neuralinl*

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@islandvibez True! Then - Skynet 2035

[@musashidanmcgrath]

Actually, a 4k TV 1 inch from EACH eye.😂

[@ungoc7275]

When you realize you have been on computer/phone for 5 years and this guy says in the future you will have eye problems... **its just a burning memory plays**

[@patrickng6297]

My right eye used to be a little blurry. I always used to think my left was just sharp because of the sports i played and how much i used my left eye, but as i've gotten older, my right eye has definitely become somewhat blurry unless i try really hard to focus it while my left eye is closed. Got my quest 2 around christmas time and have logged a couple dozen hours in and i've noticed that my right ey is starting to see clearer without having to work as hard to focus. Interesting to know that there could be something going on behind it. As a side note for if it's related, it seems like my ipd is within a fraction of a mm of perfect for one of the settings.

[@DrEyeGuy]

That is amazing. Does your right see better in all distances?

[@patrickng6297]

@@DrEyeGuy didn't pay enough attention to it before to notice for sure if it was worse at close, mid, or long range, but if I had to guess I'd say yes - all of the above. Whenever I close my left eye, it feels noticeably easier to resolve the image with my right regardless of what I'm looking at. Not sure if i had issues with far objects before but definitely had small issues with the right eye for things inside 15 ish feet. I could resolve the image, but it took about as much effort as it takes to actively blur your vision. Feels like it takes 90% less effort to resolve the image perfectly. Sometimes the image is already resolved as soon as I open my right eye

[@skepticofdoom7486]

Glad to have the opinion of a professional on this matter. I'll keep an eye out for your takes on any new research. I think VR has a huge potential to help certain parts of humanity and i would like to know any risks associated with my hobby.

[@DrEyeGuy]

I'll update as soon as I hear something for sure. Thanks for watching.

[@KrillinTheHuman112]

@@DrEyeGuy my friend uses glasses while using vr, and they have screen protectors. is that good or bad?

[@sourishsaha8067]

4:10 let's be honest the addictive nature of gamers (which will increase with VR) people play constantly for hours and hours without break forget breaks 20-30 min

[@DrEyeGuy]

Absolutely... it's a challenge right now.. and will just get more difficult.

[@commandercaleb_]

Dude these vids are amazing, it’s cool how you go in depth and we can still understand, hope you grow fast, Keep up the good work! 😊

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thanks for the awesome comment! I'm having fun making them.

[@gabso5173]

Hello, I use doubling because I used to use the phone often. I have -1.5 in my right eye and -2.5 in my left, and the doctor told me that you would be 18 years old. Laser surgery should be done and at least a little help me Vr

[@CraftedLeah4545]

I have a quest 2 and it’s my first headset ever, I also have a negative prescription. I’m not sure how to describe how bad it is but my eye doctor says I’m legally blind once I’m 22. I haven’t seen any noticeable difference when I got the headset, my eyesight is still just getting worse to the second as usual. Apparently it’s because of my mother’s terrible prescription, so I guess my eyes are still slightly adjusting to hers. My glasses also have a blue light filter, so I use them a lot. Eventually I will have to wear my glasses all the time except sleeping (or contacts)

[@ericagarza5446]

this told me why my eye s would burn while playing gorilla tag because the sweat will get into my eyes so i try my best to limit myself when it come to playing that game and to take breaks often.

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

I’ve had very bad eyesight since first started using my quest 2, I could see crystally for miles and miles. Now I can’t see 25 inches in front of me. I guess this is because i have a close range focusing problem, and VR stimulated something with it. Weirdly I only started to notice it a month ish later.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Are you saying your close up vision has gotten worse?

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

@@DrEyeGuy I have always had a weird problem with my eyes, they go lazy when I look at things really close, and I think this might have made my long range vision worse? Honestly all I want now is answers for the problem, cause it’s awful.

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@isaacsrandomvideos667 Yeah, that sounds tricky. Have you had an eye exam, or do you need to wear glasses?

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

@@DrEyeGuy yep, 3 years ago, and I didn’t need any glasses. After a bit more “searching” it’s probably not actually the oculus at all, I bet it’s the increased use of technology since lockdown... ignore the first 2 comments, I was just making random assumptions I think. (By the way, what I meant by close range focusing problems is, if you focus on your finger while you slowly move it to your nose, my left eye veers off and I start to lose focus. This is only when it’s really really close though.) Sorry about all that, I’m not very good at explaining things 😂

[@kentuckyleisure4289]

Just bought a quest 2 for my daughters birthday. Thank you for the information.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Glad I could help. I hope they enjoy it.

[@JustDontdoitdude]

Now I'm consciously blinking.

[@loremaable]

I never experienced it with VR. Anyway I massage all creases around my orbits on the bone and right on my eyebrows , all points counterclockwise .

[@asterix...]

Remember when our parents used to say, don't sit so close to the TV and now we have vr

[@_nom_]

Now they say "sit closer to keep your eyes good"

[@smaraggi]

That dead gaze and look up front to the camera at 0:56 made a point.😂

[@indieartsmidwest4042]

This video is awesome. You brought up key points about VR users with eye issues in a way that was totally off my radar. I will definitely keep this in mind for any of my future projects. Also, I've tried shifting towards listening to most videos more than actually watching them to reduce eye strain as well. In a way I'm helping out the content creators because I'm maintaining a fully watched view retention which is good for the channel.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Awesome! thank you for helping out my channel. 🙂

[@Visethelegend]

Yeah totally I try to do that as well while doing home tasks. if I’m being honest most channels can just be podcasts.

[@groot5068]

idk i play a lot and i cant see book text more then a foot away and about a year ago my vision was perfect

[@ZmanAdventurez88]

I know this is a late comment but this video helped me decide to get a quest 2 and I am now loving it. Very much appreciate everything I've learned from your channel so far!

[@DrEyeGuy]

Awesome! I'm glad you doing well with it. Thanks for the comment.

[@tropport]

genuinely one of the most helpful vr vids I've watched thank you for your advice.

[@raventhorX]

Definitely a very informative video. Based on how you describe it it feels like VR isn't going to be what I feared it to be where it's just a really close screen to your face. Can't wait to get my first VR device so I can see exactly how they design the optics so it doesn't feel like you have a screen right up to your eyeball. I also had a question about a condition of one of my eyes. Until recently I couldn't figure out the best way to describe it but my right eye doesn't seem to focus, I could basically compare it to peripheral vision. You know how you look at an object and everything around it gets blurry sort of, well my right eye has this everywhere. Can't read out of it or anything.

[@DrEyeGuy]

That's interesting about your right eye. Has it been like that your whole life, or did it just start doing this? Have you had an eye exam to check it out?

[@raventhorX]

@@DrEyeGuy it's been like that my whole life. Still nit sure I'm describing the issue properly however, it's the best form of analogy I could think of to fit the issue. Eye exams in the past just seem to chalk it up to a severe stigmatism or astigmatism, I'm not sure the right word but the curvature of the pupil i think is what it refers to.

[@MihaiZavoian]

Most new VR headsets are actually focused at 1.5-2 m not infinity (Quest 2 is 1.3 m). Please update

[@DrEyeGuy]

I never said they were focused for infinity, just "distance". The idea is that it is farther than the 14 inches or 35cm that you look at your phone typically, which has a less focal demand on the eyes.

[@MihaiZavoian]

@@DrEyeGuy my bad then, that's how I understood it

[@Th3Raz96]

I actually keep a bottle of eye drops in the case with my Quest 2, and always keep the brightness low with blue light filter on on pretty much all my devices, and my vision is gucci 👍 Something I would warn is looking down the bottom of the Quest 2, if you use one you know what I mean, that little gap around your nose; I realized looking down there so much was giving me eye strain pretty bad, so if you've gotta look outside of the headset just lift it up and save yourself some pain

[@DrEyeGuy]

Good tip! That's awesome that you keep eye drops in the case. That is smart.

[@popcornshiner3937]

Interesting information for sure, I have been using gear vr googles for about 9 years for watching tv and movies, and where using them up to 10 hrs every day, I had an eye test done about a year ago and they told me I hadn't had any eye damage from using vr goggles and only made a slight change to my prescription glasses. they just said it was down to age and I am 58.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thank you for sharing! Good to hear your vision hasn't been affected from it.

[@Spicy_So_Nicey3746]

Fantastic vids on VR use! I have Graves and had orbital decompressions, eye muscles surgeries (many!), due to diplopia and torsion, dry eyes (forever due to GD) eyelid retraction surgeries and already had glasses before. Had to wear fresnel lenses/prisms and finally the University of MN was able to fix these dang eyeballs and get them as close to 100 as possible. Long story for short point - after all these surgeries I am able to do VR quite well and absolutely love it!!!! I was concerned about possibility of undoing the surgeries. You have allayed the concerns as I do take breaks and already use eye drops. Just would add pro tip of making sure you are hydrated. Odd affect of being dehydrated (which most people don’t drink enough fluids) is dry eyes. Eye drops can only do so much for surface dryness if you are dehydrated. Anyway, great videos and you have a new sub here!

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thanks for the amazing comment, and wow 😯, what an eye history! Thanks for the pro tip as well!

[@azillystudios]

I was thinking about getting rid of my headset, but now I’m having second thoughts. Thank you for the information.

[@ExtraAtEase]

Listening to an eye doctor talk about VR is amazing. I'm really glad I stumbled upon your channel.

[@DrEyeGuy]

I'm glad you stumbled on this channel as well. 😄 Thanks for the awesome comment.

[@daydreamerdav3450]

wow the benefits are worth it, i get dry eyes sitting in front of a computer but noticed my eyes don't get watery using the meta quest

[@mantrachhaya6835]

6:57 pople will forget this rule while using metaverse and eventually hurt thier eyes... and also become unsocial creatures......

[@DrEyeGuy]

That's the worry

[@SpatialNewt]

My parents say that I can’t get a vr headset because it will hurt my eyes but when I show them videos like this they say that it’s fake so no matter what I do they will not get me one. I can get gifted one for free but literally no one will buy a $300 vr headset.

[@AKRFTR]

Hey great video, very informative! I've got a question, could VR help fix/strengthen double vision? You talked about kids having lazy eyes and them being able to fix it with different lenses, not sure if that's along the same subject

[@DrEyeGuy]

Great question. It would depend on what was causing the double vision. If it's a muscle imbalance that can be improved through vision therapy... then in theory VR could be used to help with that. VR and vision therapy is still in it's early stages though... still a lot more work to be done.

[@calmchess0434]

I don't have any long term lasting sight problems. As with any computer screen eye fatigue is possible.

[@rev.jonathanwint6038]

My eyes were bad to begin with but since using it I've noticed them growing noticeably stronger

[@DrEyeGuy]

as in, it feels like your eyes are getting better?

[@rev.jonathanwint6038]

@@DrEyeGuy since I'm being about 13 years old the focus of my eye constantly seem to not lock onto anything focusing officially my visions 250 but 250 and suffer light sensitivity. Glasses only ever gave me headaches and it's like the focus was never stable. Since I started using the Oculus I noticed that the light sensitivity start to go away and I didn't have to squint when I looked at things across the room. I mean my eyesight isn't normal by any means but it's a h**l of a lot better than it used to be. I mean I love them at first and they seem to strain my eyes but afterwards my eyesight's just better than it's been in like 10 years. It's almost like I have the condition you described normally and it seems to go away after I use the oculus a couple of hours. I feel like I'm weight lifting with my eyes.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Wow, that is awesome, I don't think I've ever heard of that before.

[@rev.jonathanwint6038]

@@DrEyeGuy I really wonder if you or someone else who's a doctor and a programming could actually design like eye exercises app or something with the thing. Now that would be awesome!

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@rev.jonathanwint6038 There are actually some VR devices designed to help strengthen lazy eyes right now.

[@rockinsteady]

I use reading glasses and since I started vr now I need them more then ever.

[@YeetwithSwag]

I’m over here playing VR for five hours like it’s five minutes…yea my eyes are toast

[@DrEyeGuy]

It's tricky. Luckily the eyes are pretty resilient.

[@Durbuz94]

Extremely helpful! I recently got astigmatism and am happy to hear that it has nothing to do with VR :)

[@MegaJimbob125]

Are you sure though?

[@احمدمحمدالحمامصى]

vr can cause stigma

[@dumdum7373]

the fact how nobody is talking about him having the rarest eye color

[@macthetv8882]

I have classes that are needed should I wear my classes with my headset

[@DrEyeGuy]

Yes, if you need them to see farther than 3-4 feet out.

[@treavy1]

I just got an occulus quest 2 but I'm not sure if it being blury when I look through it probably cuz I don't know where to adjust the lenses sense I don't have a ruler with ne

[@DrEyeGuy]

Yeah. It can be tricky. If you haven't already, check out my other video about the oculus quest 2 being blurry. Also you can try the "glasseson" app to measure your IPD.

[@treavy1]

Okie

[@2x_Rey]

I know this is 3 months ago but all you need to do is grab the lens and push it to the side

[@thelonelyspud3176]

I use the lowest brightness and the night time mode that uses warmer colors 24/7 and despite having 2-3 3 hour long sessions a day on a vr headset.

[@hayleyfuhriman8747]

Super weird and random question that I'm curious about. I am super far sighted (+4.5 in both eyes) and I have noticed that I can actually take my glasses off and see just fine in VR. This might not seem like a big deal to people whose glasses come off and on all the time, but with my vision, I cannot function in life without some kind of correction -- so being able to take my glasses off and not even notice in VR is absolutely fascinating. I did some googling, but I am not sure how common that is, or really why its so easy for me to see in VR, but maybe you know!

[@DrEyeGuy]

It must help that VR is set for more distance, so you don't need to try and focus on something really close like in real life. Do you get headaches though? After playing for a while. I would think you would still have to have to focus while playing without glasses.

[@odenroberts7603]

fsr after using my quest my eyes get trippy and sometimes real life sometimes feels like vr, but I literally just bought it so I'm probably just not used to it

[@DrEyeGuy]

It definitely can be weird at first.

[@creationsmaxo]

Well, now I get why I developed dry eyes disease. (When I consulted for getting my eyes fixed by laser, my dry eyes was discovered. My rating was at 0.5 while a normal person is supposed to be around 4.0. It was 1 of the 2 issues with my eyes that made clinic refuse to operate on my eyes.) Ever since I was little, I always been someone who barely blinks. Especially where I was drawing or writing or reading, my instinct was telling "don't blink, that's a wasted stroke/word" and though that just taking breaks now and then would do it. Guess it did not.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Sorry to hear that. How do your eyes feel now? Are they dry often?

[@creationsmaxo]

​@@DrEyeGuy They get dry relatively often and especially more often during winter. The fact that I'm a freelance graphic designer and video game developer doesn't help either. I got to use drops every day I works or play on a screen. With VR, it's an hourly process where I got a bottle of lubricating artificial tears close by so that I don't forget to put some on while taking breaks. I'm using 2 kinds of drops at the moment. Some relatively cheap artificial tears that cost about $4 per 15 ml bottle on a daily basic and, on the days where it actually burn a little (like a cold and dry day during winter), I got a special small bottle (cost like $35 per 8 ml bottle) with a blend that really helps out.

[@FizzikkOfficial]

thank you for the info. so im just going to immediately take off my headset if i feel any discomfort like ive been doing with motion sickness, i think thatll be helpful. i didnt know about the 20 20 20 rule before, do you just take your headset off every 20 minutes or occasionally and just look around and blink for 20 seconds before going back in?

[@DrEyeGuy]

Yep, you got it.

[@FizzikkOfficial]

@@DrEyeGuy ok cool thanks for confirming it. I like your content

[@faithgotmotion]

me through out this whole video: *Blinking every 2 seconds as hard as i can* and i dont even have a vr.. yet🤤

[@DrEyeGuy]

haha!

[@TankFavoriter]

Look, I’ve used vr in 2013. And my eyes never had issues Regardless of the fact that I blink alot move my eyes a lot, and etc. All I’d use it is for 20 minutes. And every 10-20 minutes I take a break. Stay safe everyone! (If it doesn’t work, just tell me in the comments section in replys!) Did I do it wrong?! I just worry!

[@Matyas974VFX]

Don't Understand how you're still under 100k subs, keep up the good work :)

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thanks! I'm working on it.

[@brentmcculloch]

Great video! Two questions. #1, what is your take on eye floaters? could VR worsen them? #2, do you have a suggestion for blocking blue light for windows mixed reality headsets? or a solution in steam vr? using a reverb G2.

[@DrEyeGuy]

I haven't seen any link with VR and Floaters... at least not yet. Reducing blight light in those other situations might have to be software based.

[@masonmax1000]

one thing that trips me out in VR is in DCS flight sim when i look into a mirror my left eye is weaker and has trouble focusing on it but when i look to the right my left eye has no trouble focusing on that mirror lol wack on a side note when I was a kid I went to this reading doctor yes that's a thing bc my eyes would go back to the same line i just read not the one below it and id have to consciously move my eyes down almost like fighting myself lol so he taught me how to cross my eyes and stuff and that actually helped so in reality being able to manipulate your eyes individually is a good thing. nothing to worry about.

[@UninstallingWindows]

Ive been using VR for a while now, and sometimes it feels like it improves my vision...and sometimes it seems to do the opposite. I think it may improve vision because its forcing the brain to render the world in 3D....where as looking and a phone is not engaging the brains 3D vision. I have noticed that VR quite often creates odd optical illusions that can last for hours.

[@Nova-pb3sq]

"Render the world" XD

[@Ginger445]

You can buy attachable lenses for your Oculus Quest or Quest 2 that filter out blue light. Mine have a problem staying clipped on the lenses, but they filter out blue light without changing the color of images on the screen.

[@DrEyeGuy]

I was able to review a few of them. Very good option instead of glasses.

[@DFX2KX]

oh, came down the comments and see I was beaten to it. they come in proscription, too. I want some, lol.

[@nwimpney]

They're a scam. They block wavelengths of light that aren't produced by your displays. Your displays only produce a narrow band of blue wavelengths. If you block any of them, it will cause a change in colour. If it's not changing colours, it's because you're blocking wavelengths that aren't there (doing nothing beneficial)

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@nwimpney average peak is 455nm. There are blue light glasses that can block a percentage of that wavelength and still be "mostly clear". But you're right... as far as how effective they are, and if it's actually needed... that is the question.

[@Ginger445]

@@nwimpney The light that reflects off the lens when I’m not wearing the headset looks like a bluish green. It barely alters the color, but it’s little enough that it’s hardly noticeable.

[@TomLostWave]

Very good video! I have a question, will vr affect my vision if i had a lasic surgery? I had it around 3 months ago

[@DrEyeGuy]

Good question. I think the biggest battle you will have is with the dryness. A lot of times your eyes will be more dry after having Lasik. With staring at VR, it could dry your eyes out even more, which could cause irritation and blurry vision. Remember to blink, take breaks, use your drops. Thanks for the good question.

[@TomLostWave]

@@DrEyeGuy thanks!

[@jinxed4lyf763]

The thing is im using vr from 2 years now and I can see far away objects better even tho I have myopia that might mean that vr actually improved nearsightness i even saw other same comments

[@Heisen_burger-dude]

Its not even possible to improve eye sight like that

[@BlackMarketHoney]

Excellent info. Do you trim you stubble around your VR cover? 😉

[@DrEyeGuy]

It naturally grows like that, I was born to play VR. 😄

[@ikg2449]

The blinking stuff scared the crap out of me. I've been on the screen since early teen, and i def can feel some signs of 'dry eyes' right now, at 23. The oil glans atrophy is scary, dude. Gonna check them out in the mirror real quick, after i finish typing this comment

[@DrEyeGuy]

How do they look? I didn't mean to scare you... but yeah, those oil glands pictures can look freaky sometimes.

[@ikg2449]

@@DrEyeGuy no, not that the pics are creepy. The concept, that they degrade. I'm scared of the concept that my glans could degrade to such an extent that my eyes would be irritated 24/7. Like chronic condition, simular to chronic back pain. In terms of how they look... Well... I'd say one eye is okay, and the other eye is pretty bad. At least I can see the glans on the right eye. On the left eye I couldn't destinguish them. And the left eye is the one that feels the most dry.

[@dathyr1]

Thanks for the video about VR and our eyes. I always wondered what a Doctor thinks of VR devices. I always use mine for short periods of time and use it for SIM racing. These racing games are fun in VR but do put some strain on your eyes with the fast paced VR action racing around the tracks. I know some of my friend racers do this hours on end, so dont know how it will affect their eyes later down the line. take care.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thanks for the comment and the nice words.

[@JacobSeeger]

Do you think there is any effect on the eye areas/sinuses from wearing a VR headset? It is known to cause that red line on our faces - do you think the wearing of a headset has a physical negative effect on our eyes/ENT aside from just how it affects our eyes directly?

[@DrEyeGuy]

That is an excellent question. I know it doesn't have an effect on intraocular eye pressure. But a far as how it may affect sinuses... I'm not sure. I'll keep my eyes open about this question. Thank you.

[@JacobSeeger]

@@DrEyeGuy Thank you so much! And thank you for the fantastic video as well :)

[@DFX2KX]

not if you have the headset tightened correctly I don't think (at least no worse then ski-goggles would). MOST of the weight has to be on the upper strap, the side straps should be juuuuuust tight enough to keep the thing from flopping around. doing that (provided you're not also allergic to the facepad, some folks are) and you shouldn't have red-marks. I do tighten it a bit if I'm going to be doing something athletic, and that's about the only time I'll get red marks.

[@DrEyeGuy]

What other VR and Eye topics do you want me to cover?

[@Palosiam124]

How about a video about what vitamins/foods/fruits and what not are beneficial to eye health if one hasn't been made yet

[@sarahsandiford4668]

Okay but what if you do not have flashes or floater but your vision frequently but not too often goes black for a split second like you are switching off a light. Note: i wear glasses and both my optomotrist and optamologist have said that I have healthy eyes. Plus one told me they did not know what that means and to just keep track of it . Google also was useless to me . I once saw an article that a lady experience it once in her life but i get a couple times throughout a year. Like for a couple months i will not experience it then in 1 day or week i'll experience it alot. Any else experience this?! If so, do you know what it means

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@Palosiam124 This is actually on my list to make, glad to see someone suggest this. Thank you so much!

[@rox9570]

Something I've wondered about for a while is the effect of chlorine in swimming pools on vision. I was a swimmer growing up and my high school swim coach had really red corneas and never acted like he was high, so we all used to joke that it was because he played too much water polo and didn't wear goggles, so the chlorine had done it. I don't know if it's true, but it makes sense that a lot of chlorine exposure could hurt the eyes, maybe. I'd love to hear your input on it, and maybe also on the effect of swimming goggles on the eyes, because they can really suction cup right on that sensitive skin. Maybe it's a very specific subject, but I think it'd be interesting. Thanks for the videos, they're all very informative!

[@TomLostWave]

Vr after lasic surgery

[@drowsy4312]

i know this is an old video,.. if my SO has 1 glases prescription but uses different magnifications for tasks like reading, driving, or general. i think its 4x, 2x and her normal ones. how do i chose the right lense inserts for vr ?

[@DrEyeGuy]

You want to pick your distance prescription.

[@szym1]

Informative and useful. Thank you for making this video!

[@DrEyeGuy]

Thank you! Glad you liked it.

[@Mutrax4706]

Ngl to fix the blue light thing, I ALWAYS turn on night time mode. ive only a few times turned it off to see how the virtual world really looks, but then i turned it back on again

[@MysTicBiGz]

Vr are made me not see dark when I closed my eyes, took me like over a year of non use for my eyes to slightly recover.

[@DrEyeGuy]

This has me curious... did you constantly see an after image when you closed your eyes?

[@MysTicBiGz]

@@DrEyeGuy no, when I close my eyes, it's not that dark, black, darkness , even when I cover my eyes with a pillow when it's closes.

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@MysTicBiGz would it still be bright when you closed your eyes?

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

@@MysTicBiGz Dude, you make it sound like you levelled up & acquired Darkvision.

[@MysTicBiGz]

@@DrEyeGuy it has gotten better, not as bright as before. I havent used VR ever since.

[@germanchickent]

I Like the 20/20 rule but for me Its more Like a Loading Screen or Safe Zone / 20 rule :) and I suggest everyone just consciously blink every now and then (for example after a beat saber level) (this helped me a lot)

[@DrEyeGuy]

Good comment! Thanks!

[@YukonWilleh]

starts blinking way more

[@DrEyeGuy]

Gotta keep that blink rate up! 😉

[@geneanthony3421]

Had PRK not that long ago, took a break from VR for a month before and didn't try it again until I was given the green light to resume full activity from my eye doctor. I don't know if there is a chance of damage with using VR during that time but I wasn't taking the risk. I do think your body does a good job of telling you to take a break when using VR and I try to listen to it.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Did you like your PRK? Did everything turn out ok?

[@geneanthony3421]

@@DrEyeGuy had terrible eyesight, now better than 20/20 however I do have a bit of dry eye now (it's been about 5 months now). When I wake up I massage each eye for 10 seconds or so which helps. If I don't do that every once in a while as soon as I open my eyes it will feel like getting poked in them. Perfect beyond that though.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Awesome, and hopefully the dryness gets better with time.

[@geneanthony3421]

@@DrEyeGuy I heard it should, it's better now than it was months back. I will say for anyone thinking about it the first few weeks are a royal pain. Right after your eyes are almost perfect but very sensitive to light, then on day 3 - 4 your eyes will water like crazy and day 5 the contacts come out and it's comfortable. However, my eyes constantly shifted for at least 2 to 3 weeks after where looking at a computer monitor was very difficult and reading glasses didn't help due to the constant shifting. At one point I could only see things well at like 20 feet, even my 55 inch TV was too blurry from like 6 feet away. My eyes would be perfect one day and then back to garbage the next.

[@FightForRyu]

Dammit! My eye strain is definitely from Vergence Accomadation Conflict. Which im guessing is also causing the other symptoms. This always happened during 3D movies as well. Things always looked blurry and i think my eyes are auto squinting not with my lids but with my actual eye it like tenses up trying to focus on the objects or screen . I notice i do that when my glasses are off and im trying to just use my phone real quick it feels like im poppin my eye out more. The only thing that we can do is take breaks ?... hoping they come out with those better lenses soon haha

[@DrEyeGuy]

I've been researching this..at least if there is a way to help the eyes. There is vision therapy that can help, but that is usually done at an eye doctors office and can sometimes be costly. You could try completely relaxing your eyes as best your can, almost as if you are zoning out for the first minute or 2 in VR and see if that helps. I'll keep researching and see if something else comes up.

[@elibeeblebrox1084]

They are absolutely working on this! There are patents from almost every major VR hardware company that explain some advanced optics that match convergence and accomodation using active lenses and eye tracking.

[@Jay-Ryan]

I don't know if vergence accommodation conflict is an issue for me... I have monocular vision (For laypersons, each eye operates independent of the other) and thus only 'see' by each eye on it's own by concentrating on what that eye is seeing... I cannot cross my eyes for close-up objects. I find VR and polarized glasses give a more 3D effect than I actually see in real life! I learned this watching Titanic 3D for the first time. I cannot see 3D with the red blue glasses... I only see the movie in red or blue. I used to fail the 3D vision tests for drivers license, but since they've gone digital, no problem!

[@DrEyeGuy]

This is actually super interesting... Thanks for the comment.

[@szyslay]

Love these VR topics as I work in this industry []-) thank you!

[@DrEyeGuy]

That's fun! What do you do for work?

[@szyslay]

Currently WE do a VR multi user collabiration platform for health, business and education :D I also made an early acces game DracoDux ^_^ but still needs a lot f work. Thanks for asking :)

[@szyslay]

+ I have a lazy eye. Back in the DK2 ocukus days I was using an app called Diplopia and was stunned, that it actually was able to redirect my eye pupils during callibration in different directions! So your channel is realky really educative and glad to be here :D

[@DrEyeGuy]

Woah! Is that app still around? That is awesome!

[@DrEyeGuy]

This sounds so interesting! How does someone even get into this field of work?

[@armanjangmiri3963]

don't know about the actual effects, but I feel moer pressure on my eyes working with mobile phones than VR headsets.

[@desiderata]

Dude thank you for doing gaming related eye health videos!! I have MGD and it's hell. I've seen a few other eye doctors do reviews of the TearRestore eye mask on KZbin. Would like to hear your unpaid unbiased review of it if possible.

[@DrEyeGuy]

I actually am planning on doing a video on TearRestore. I have one that I have been using consistently for about a month. Overall I like it. Thanks for the comment.

[@desiderata]

@@DrEyeGuy I've used mine for about a month too! Did you also find that the heat packs don't stay warm for 10 mins? Mine is probably warm for 5-6 mins tops and I'm not sure if that's enough. I only use mine once a day. My optometrist has also voiced concerns about heat being delivered to the upper eyelids, what do you think??

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@desiderata Same thing.. except for me I thought it was a little too hot at first, and so it cooling down kind of helped me. I could get 10 minutes out of mine pretty easily. I guess I'm curious why your doctor is worried about the heat on the upper eyelids?

[@desiderata]

@@DrEyeGuy Yes same, and the skin around my eyes turns pink! But I now just sort of put up with it lol. My optometrist is skeptical about heat being delivered to the glands on the upper eyelids when you open your eyes as opposed to say, a wheatbag on closed eyelids directly where the glands are. How many times a day do you use yours?

[@13lake]

I guess this is why my astigmatism isn’t a problem in VR? My up close vision is blurred now, but in VR, everything is clear.

[@GAMERTAGVR]

Great video man. Add Oculus Quest 2 to the title. Change ‘Eye Doc Explains’ to ‘Oculus Quest 2’ might be too late but the algorithm could help you

[@DrEyeGuy]

Yeah, might be worth a shot.

[@GAMERTAGVR]

@@DrEyeGuy nothing to lose. I’m not a successful KZbinr but remember to play to algorithm. Try to be natural with titles but info and tags are critical and need to be first. Big channels get away with inventive titles.

[@GAMERTAGVR]

To be even more bad ass. ‘Oculus Quest 2 - Will VR Damage your eyes? 4 Dangers You NEED to know!

[@DrEyeGuy]

@@GAMERTAGVR I like it! I'm going to do it. I like to experiment with stuff like this.

[@notCSScode]

This is gonna be useful, thank you very much for loosening everyones worries.

[@hughmac7423]

Is Facebook and Oculus spying on your gaming, then pushing advertisement in games bad for VR? You bet it is. Why do you feature the Oculus headset, when it is from such an evil company?

[@DrEyeGuy]

Have they started showing ads already in the games? I thought that was still up in the air and not official yet.

[@RadioactiveAlbinism]

I have nystagmus, optic nerve hypoplasia and astigmatism and was worried that I wouldn't be able to use vr. I was pleasantly surprised that I can use it without much issues. I love your channel btw, keep up good work.

[@DrEyeGuy]

Awesome to hear that it's working well for you. Thank you for the nice comment too!

[@DashSpaceski]

My Dad n I use VR no problem for either of us. I have good eye Gene's I suspect. I do a couple of extreme sports. One requires I see very far away aswell as at about 10 meters when downhilling.

[@GoopieSnoopie]

I've been playing vr for over a year now, and haven't had any pain and or soreness. Maybe it's because I blink alot but i don't know

[@barbbarnes553]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing your expertise. (I'm getting a Meta Quest 2 for exercise.) Is there VR treatment available yet for a three-year-old with lazy eye? First eye dr. was all into surgery; the next dr. went with eye patch and now looking at glasses.

[@MiguelExhale]

Oculus is the dopest! I noticed after using it that my vision improved while having the headphones off but I only used it for a couple of weeks. I can definitely see living a big portion of my life behind the lenses so I hope it’s not damaging.

[@DrEyeGuy]

I'll keep my eyes open for any new research that comes out for sure.

[@mikhailgregovszki7478]

Isn't VAC mitigated somewhat by VR headsets with adjustable IPD? Or am I not understanding what the problem actually is?

[@DrEyeGuy]

I found this video interesting...maybe because I'm a nerd like that. But this video will help describe VAC. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4ikZZqMnsd-gKc

[@ollyk22]

Talking of accomidation and vergence, I use to notice when viewing magic eye images for any length of time would really screw my vision up. I should probably test to see if it is worse for divergent types (most commonly found) vs cross-eyed, but assuming it more about the close distance and asking your eyes to combine this with very strange vergence this is more likely, I seem to be ok with VR!

[@DrEyeGuy]

Good to hear you are good with VR. Thanks for the comment.

[@yukikami7234]

I been using vr sense 2021 and my eyes are fine also and nothing wrong with it. Plus only i can believe sometimes whatever on the thing that break mess with ur eyes but my eyes never be dry so i dunno what he talking about because always never dray. Then other part its called lower the light to vr because doesnt bother me when i use it but does give u headcha sometimes but ur not use to vr but sense i been using it i been fine with vr headset nothing wrong or anything and my sight still fine.

[@nitricfox7895]

My eyes are already blurry so I want to know if wearing the headset promotes aging under the eyes

[@shizamikaze]

thanks for the video i will try to take breaks even if is hard to because once you start playing you dont want to stop

[@juliol.7081]

Your videos are the best, thank you.

[@VRFlightSimGuy]

Really great video thanks so much!

[@DrEyeGuy]

And thank you for watching it. 😀