Sicknificant Steps: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of VR Sickness in Walking-based Locomotion for Virtual Reality

Walking-based locomotion techniques in virtual reality (VR) can use redirection to enable walking in a virtual environment larger than the physical one. This results in a mismatch between the perceived virtual and physical movement, which is known to cause VR sickness. However, it is unclear if different types of walking techniques (e.g., resetting, reorientation, or self-overlapping spaces) affect VR sickness differently. To address this, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 96 papers published in 2016–2022 that measure VR sickness in walking-based locomotion. We find different VR sickness effects between types of redirection and between normal walking and redirection. However, we also identified several problems with the use and reporting of VR sickness measures. We discuss the challenges in understanding VR sickness differences between walking techniques and present guidelines for measuring VR sickness in locomotion studies.