Sea of Thieves Motion Sickness: Why It Happens & What Helps
Sea of Thieves is literal seasickness on a screen: a first-person camera on a ship that never stops swaying. It's one of the most-searched games for motion sickness fixes, and Rare maintains an official field-of-view guide — the FOV slider plus a few habits borrowed from real sailors tame it for most players.
PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5 · first-person · Has comfort settings · Player-reported motion-sickness risk: one of the most commonly reported triggers in gaming.
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- Moderate
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Risk levels summarise what passengers and riders commonly report, not measured testing.
Key facts
- Sea of Thieves runs on PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5.
- The camera is first-person.
- Player reports place it in the high band for motion sickness.
- The game ships a full set of comfort settings.
- It sits at number 3 in our ranking of the 20 games players report most for motion sickness.
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Why Sea of Thieves can trigger motion sickness
Your view is attached to a deck that pitches and rolls even when you stand still, so your eyes report constant wave motion your inner ear can't confirm — the same mismatch as real seasickness, reversed. The commonly reported fix order: max the FOV slider (default 78, up to 90), raise the separate action FOVs, and use the horizon exactly like sailors do.
- Constant deck sway and roll, even at anchor
- Below-deck sections — no horizon reference at all
- Narrow default FOV (78) amplifying the sway
- Capstan, harpoon, and ladder animations with their own tighter cameras
Comfort settings in Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves ships a full set of comfort settings.
| Setting | Where | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Field of View | Settings > Video | Raise from 78 toward 90 (the maximum) |
| Capstan / Harpoon / Ladder FOV overrides | Settings > Video | Raise them (60–110 range) so action cameras stop zooming in |
| Camera sensitivity | Settings > Controls | Lower for smoother turns |
| Motion blur-type effects | Settings > Video | Minimize where available |
Set up before your next session with Sea of Thieves
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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.
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What helps beyond the settings
- Watch the horizon while sailing — it works on-screen just as it does at sea
- Steer or navigate: the 'driver effect' is commonly reported to help in-game too
- Minimize time below deck where there's no stable reference
- Headphones already on: a sound-therapy app like Dizzout is designed to help once symptoms start
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 Sea of Thieves make me seasick?
The camera is glued to a deck that pitches and rolls constantly, so your eyes report wave motion your inner ear never feels — the exact sensory mismatch behind real seasickness, in reverse. It's commonly reported as one of the strongest motion-sickness games; the FOV slider and horizon-watching are the main tames.
What FOV should I use in Sea of Thieves?
Raise the main slider from the default 78 to 90 (the max Rare allows), and raise the separate Capstan, Harpoon, and Ladder FOV overrides too — those action cameras zoom in by default and are commonly reported triggers. Rare publishes an official FOV guide covering all of these.
How do I play Sea of Thieves without getting sick?
Max the FOV settings, watch the horizon while sailing, take the wheel when you can (being 'the driver' commonly helps), avoid long stints below deck, and break between voyages. If symptoms start anyway, stop, fix your eyes on something still, and breathe slowly — pushing through commonly makes it last longer.
Other game motion-sickness guides
Sources & further reading
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Can you build tolerance?
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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.