Man attempts to spend 1 week in VR non-stop.

LZoltowski

168 hours. Multiple headsets. One fascinating livestream.

What’s the longest amount of time you’ve spent immersed in VR? Three, maybe four hours? Don’t worry, I won’t judge. After all, it’s easy to lose track of time while slicing through colored blocks in Beat Saber or hunting down enemy squads in Onward.

But just how long is too long exactly? Jak Wilmot, a content producer specializing in VR, has been pondering this exact question himself; so much so that the brave virtual reality enthusiast is livestreaming the effects of prolonged exposure to VR during an experiment in which he spends a full week (168 hours) immersed inside a headset.

https://vrscout.com/news/guy-is-spending-full-week-in-vr/

His detailed experience via Twitter

https://twitter.com/JakWilmot

https://twitter.com/JakWilmot/status/1098571585525563392

snowdog

If I spent that long in VR non-stop my ker-nob would be VERY sore 

DaftnDirect

That's interesting, given the affects after less than a day. I'm not sure a full week for the first test is entirely wise.

PhoenixSpyder

As my nearly daily routine of playing Skyrim VR (heavily modded) I've done approx 12 hrs in one sitting a number of times (with food, stretch breaks of course)...and have presently racked up 720 hrs to date inside Skyrim VR. After 12 hrs, I definitely needed to sleep and do something different. I can't even imagine trying to play 14 times as long inside VR...fatigue will definitely be a factor even after the first 10 hrs. Strange things will most likely happen to the psychy after a certain amount of time...

DaftnDirect

I hope he's able to make a sensible judgement about taking a break if it proves necessary. The problem with live feeding on social media is, the need for views and likes seem to take over from common sense. Anyway, will be interesting to see how it goes.
Just not something I'd recommend anyone copy.

RedRizla

I've heard gaming solid for more then 20 hours on a 2D monitor can be enough to kill some people. This will also be bad for his eyes. The heat from the VR headset for that period of time will dry his eyes out. So don't be surprised if he comes out of the headset looking like this.

SkScotchegg

Is he sleeping then? But he wears the HMD to bed? And then just looks through the HMD during the day?

And what is he watching or playing whilst in VR for 7 days?

snowdog

SkScotchegg said:

Is he sleeping then? But he wears the HMD to bed? And then just looks through the HMD during the day?

And what is he watching or playing whilst in VR for 7 days?

VR Porn I reckon. That's what I'd end up doing.

Hiro_Protag0nist

feelreal

I'm really interested how he will end up after a week. Now he already sees time as "concept" and struggles with reality. But I think it's a great experiment, because one day we all will fully immersed in VR 

DaftnDirect

Yep, one day a lot us us will spend the majority of our time in virtual or augmented reality. I think the tech will have advanced enough by then to negate any negative physical (and maybe even mental) effects.

I was just thinking about my former employer's workplace VDU usage advice with respect to eye care.... basically looking away from the monitor regularly to exercise the eye's lens focusing muscles.... taking a 15 minute break from the monitor every hour t avoid eye strain.

We don't have realistic object depths in VR to keep those focusing muscles active at all so wondering how 168 hours straight is going to effect them. I can't help thinking the tech isn't where it needs to be for this kind of test.

But yeah, it's certainly interesting.

snowdog

I spend the majority of my time in VR AnD iT hAsN'T afFeCTeD ME aT AlL

DaftnDirect

mmm we need a baseline Snow... just how affected were you before you started using VR?

snowdog

About the same. See? VR isn't bad for you, there's the proof!

OmegaM4N

PhoenixSpyder said:

As my nearly daily routine of playing Skyrim VR (heavily modded) I've done approx 12 hrs in one sitting a number of times (with food, stretch breaks of course)...and have presently racked up 720 hrs to date inside Skyrim VR. After 12 hrs, I definitely needed to sleep and do something different. I can't even imagine trying to play 14 times as long inside VR...fatigue will definitely be a factor even after the first 10 hrs. Strange things will most likely happen to the psychy after a certain amount of time...

Really, 12 hours in one sitting!...wow, you did in one sitting what i might do in a week, i don't envy your hands, fingers and back after so any hours. lol

RuneSR2

LZoltowski said:

168 hours. Multiple headsets. One fascinating livestream.

What’s the longest amount of time you’ve spent immersed in VR? Three, maybe four hours? Don’t worry, I won’t judge. After all, it’s easy to lose track of time while slicing through colored blocks in Beat Saber or hunting down enemy squads in Onward.

But just how long is too long exactly? Jak Wilmot, a content producer specializing in VR, has been pondering this exact question himself; so much so that the brave virtual reality enthusiast is livestreaming the effects of prolonged exposure to VR during an experiment in which he spends a full week (168 hours) immersed inside a headset.

https://vrscout.com/news/guy-is-spending-full-week-in-vr/

His detailed experience via Twitter

https://twitter.com/JakWilmot

https://twitter.com/JakWilmot/status/1098571585525563392

168 hours in VR seem like the perfect vacation!

But not without these:

- or sitting down is definitely key to a great (not too smelly) week:

Nourishment may not be the biggest problem:

RuneSR2

Hmm, seems like the dude is doing a lot of more or less ordinary activities, like surfing the web etc:

http://www.1weekinvr.com/

The real experiment should be 1 week in for example Skyrim VR - or a similar massive 3D VR world. Six to 8 hours of sleep each night, so that's 7 x 16/18 hours of Skyrim VR = 112 or 126 hours. That would be an interesting experiment...  One week, no kids, no chores, sleeping under the night sky and watching the stars 

snowdog

After a week you'd be a nervous wreck on the lookout for bloomin great big wolufs whenever you go outside lol

Chazmeister

RuneSR2 said:

The real experiment should be 1 week in for example Skyrim VR - or a similar massive 3D VR world. 

If they ever bring space legs to Elite Dangerous, I could imagine trying a 48 hour stint doing that.

snowdog

I'd be quite happy to do a MONTH OR TWO in Elite Dangerous, just as long as @vannagirl is around to feed me and change my adult nappies

PhoenixSpyder

OmegaM4N said:

PhoenixSpyder said:

As my nearly daily routine of playing Skyrim VR (heavily modded) I've done approx 12 hrs in one sitting a number of times (with food, stretch breaks of course)...and have presently racked up 720 hrs to date inside Skyrim VR. After 12 hrs, I definitely needed to sleep and do something different. I can't even imagine trying to play 14 times as long inside VR...fatigue will definitely be a factor even after the first 10 hrs. Strange things will most likely happen to the psychy after a certain amount of time...

Really, 12 hours in one sitting!...wow, you did in one sitting what i might do in a week, i don't envy your hands, fingers and back after so any hours. lol

LOL...yes, it's a long time...I don't do it very often thankfully. I play seated/reclined so in doing so it's a lot easier to keep comfortable and rest arms, etc... It's amazing how much time passes while in VR though... I think a generation or 2 will pass before anyone can remain in a Matrix like VR environment though, once the technology is there...as all life sustaining variables will need to be met while in that kind of environment...

snowdog

Yup, I spent 5 or 6 hours in Elite Dangerous without realising it when I first got my Rift. Not great for a diabetic, I had a hypo and managed to scratch my lenses in the process.

I now make sure I keep my eye on the clock in-game regularly lol

MAC_MAN86

I really wouldn't like sleeping with one on but he even showers with it!
Here's his upload afterwards...

CrashFu

I spent 10 hours in Elite Dangerous, once. (breaking only for restroom once or twice, and maybe grabbing a snack on the way back)  I was unemployed, clinically depressed, and immersing myself in that game and binge-watching Star Trek: Voyager had basically become my life for the three months it took to find a new job.

Other than, you know, the general life situation, I was fine.   VR is actually a LOT easier on the eyes than staring at a 2D monitor for even a few hours.  Remember, it's straining to focus on a fixed plane for extended periods of time that hurts your eyes / causes headaches, NOT exposing your eyes to light.

Now, if you tried to spend a week in Mobile VR, strapped to one of those smart-phones that were prone to battery explosion, THAT would be a different story!

feelreal

His final results video is simply amazing! Jak and his team are very talented, I can say