No Man's Sky Motion Sickness: Why It Happens & What Helps
No Man's Sky asks your eyes to accept a planet surface, a jetpack arc and open space in one continuous move, with no fixed horizon to hold onto. It is also better equipped than its reputation suggests: Hello Games documented the first-person head bob toggle in the Waypoint update, a camera shake menu setting appears in later patch notes, and motion blur has had an off switch under Options since the Foundation update. Turn off all three, and use the third-person camera the NEXT update added when a planet still gets to you.
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch · first-person, with a third-person option · Has comfort settings · Player-reported motion-sickness risk: commonly reported by motion-sensitive players.
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
Risk levels summarise what passengers and riders commonly report, not measured testing.
Key facts
- No Man's Sky runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch.
- The camera is first-person, with a third-person option.
- Player reports place it in the moderate band for motion sickness.
- The game ships a full set of comfort settings.
- 4 specific settings are listed on this page, starting with First-person head bob.
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Why No Man's Sky can trigger motion sickness
The trigger here is drift without a reference. On foot you get head bob and a jetpack that lifts and drops the view; in the cockpit you get six directions of travel at once; and the transition from ground to orbit rolls the whole world around you while nothing stays level. Space sections are the hardest part, because there is no ground plane and no horizon your inner ear can use to check what your eyes report. The fixes are real but they live in separate menus, so most players only ever find one of them.
- Ship flight with six directions of travel and no level horizon
- Planet to space transitions that roll the whole view
- First-person head bob while walking and sprinting
- Jetpack hops that lift and drop the camera
- Camera shake from impacts and hazards
Comfort settings in No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky ships a full set of comfort settings.
| Setting | Where | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| First-person head bob | Options > Camera | Disable it. Hello Games added the toggle in the Waypoint update. |
| Camera shake | Options > Camera | Take the strength down, or to zero. |
| Motion blur | Options > Display | Off. This is the path Hello Games documented for it. |
| Third-person camera | In-game camera toggle | Use it on foot when first person gets to you. |
Set up before your next session with No Man's Sky
Dizzout runs on your phone, not on the machine you are playing on. Install it now, and when you next feel it starting, move the headphones you are wearing over to your phone and press play. Drug-free, and it works once symptoms have already begun.
Before you need it: find out how prone you are
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Put it on your phone
Free to try, no card needed. Or go straight to the App Store or Google Play.
Scan to open on your phoneOn a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone. Scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.
Know someone who gets motion sick?
Send them the app that helps stop it, drug-free, in about 90 seconds, works with any headphones. Free to try.
What helps beyond the settings
- Turn head bob off first, since it runs the whole time you are walking
- Switch to third person for exploration and back to first only for precision work
- Break after the space sections rather than pushing straight into the next jump
- A drug-free sound-therapy app like Dizzout is designed to help once symptoms start, through the headphones you already have on
The fixes people reach for once they step away from the screen are covered separately, with the trials attached: the remedy verdicts.
Frequently asked questions
Why does No Man's Sky make me dizzy?
Because almost nothing in it stays level. Ship flight moves in six directions at once, the climb from a planet to orbit rolls the entire view, and on foot you get head bob plus a jetpack that lifts and drops the camera. With no fixed horizon, your eyes report motion your inner ear cannot confirm, which is the mismatch behind motion sickness anywhere.
Can you turn off head bob in No Man's Sky?
Yes. Hello Games documented it in the Waypoint update patch notes: first-person head bob effects can be disabled from the menu. It is the setting worth changing first, because head bob runs continuously while you walk rather than only during one specific move.
Does third person help with No Man's Sky motion sickness?
For many players, yes. The NEXT update added a third-person camera for walking, jetpacking, swimming and in-ship flight, and moving the camera off your character's head removes the walking bob entirely. Exploring in third person and switching to first only for close work is the commonly reported pattern.
Other game motion-sickness guides
Sources & further reading
Your next question, probably
Can you build tolerance?
Graded exposure, honestly assessed, so you can keep playing
If that is not your question:
Based on publicly reported player experiences and each game's documented settings, as of July 2026. Settings menus change with updates, so check your version. Game names are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Motion-sickness sensitivity varies by person, so this is informational, not a game review or a substitute for a doctor's advice.