Hollow Knight: Silksong Motion Sickness: Why It Happens & What Helps
Yes, a 2D game. Silksong's world is built as 3D layers on a real Z axis, so the backgrounds slide at different speeds as you move, and the screen shakes hard on impacts. Players reported symptoms in the Steam discussions, and Team Cherry shipped a screen shake reduction option, covered in the accessibility preview of the settings under Steam's camera comfort tagging. This is the gaming cluster's first side-scroller, here because the reports exist. Checked September 2026.
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PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2 · 2D side-on with parallax · Partial settings · Player-reported motion-sickness risk: rarely reported by players.
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- Moderate
- High
- Very high
Risk levels summarise what passengers and riders commonly report, not measured testing.
Key facts
- Hollow Knight: Silksong runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2.
- The camera is 2D side-on with parallax.
- Player reports place it in the low band for motion sickness.
- The game ships some comfort settings, but not a full set.
- 3 specific settings are listed on this page, starting with Screen shake reduction.
Why Hollow Knight: Silksong can trigger motion sickness
Parallax is a depth illusion made of motion: near layers slide fast, far layers slide slowly, and your visual system reads the difference as moving through space. Silksong's engine does this with real 3D layering rather than flat trickery, which makes the effect stronger, and its combat punctuates the scrolling with heavy screen shake. Most people process side-scrolling without trouble, which is why the risk here is low, but for players sensitive to optical flow, fast traversal through layered environments plus shake is enough, and the reports in the threads describe exactly that.
- Layered parallax scrolling reading as depth motion during fast traversal
- Heavy screen shake on impacts and abilities
- Long sessions of continuous scrolling through boss retries
- Handheld play holding the moving screen close to the eyes
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Comfort settings in Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong ships some comfort settings, but not a full set.
| Setting | Where | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Screen shake reduction | Options; covered in the accessibility preview under camera comfort tagging | On. It addresses the sharpest of the game's visual motion |
| Parallax | No setting | The layered depth is the game's engine and art direction; there is no flat mode. Distance from the screen is the lever you control |
| Screen distance | Not a setting, but the biggest handheld lever | Docked play on a distant screen shrinks how much of your vision the scrolling fills compared with handheld at arm's length |
One guide explains these settings for every game: how field of view, motion blur, head bob and camera shake trigger motion sickness.
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What helps beyond the settings
- Turn shake reduction on before the boss-heavy midgame where retries concentrate exposure
- Play docked or sit further back when handheld sessions bring symptoms on
- Break between boss attempts instead of retrying straight away for an hour
- A drug-free sound-therapy app like Dizzout is designed to help once symptoms have started, through any headphones
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
Can a 2D game like Silksong really cause motion sickness?
For a minority of players, yes, and the Steam threads carry the reports. The mechanism is parallax: Silksong's world is genuinely built in 3D layers, so backgrounds slide at depth-dependent speeds and your visual system reads it as motion through space. Add heavy screen shake and long sessions, and sensitive players get the same mismatch 3D games produce, at lower intensity.
Does Silksong have a screen shake setting?
Yes. Team Cherry shipped a screen shake reduction option, covered in the accessibility preview of the settings and tagged under Steam's camera comfort category. It softens the sharpest visual motion in the game. The parallax scrolling itself has no toggle, since the layered world is the engine and the art.
Why does handheld play feel worse than docked?
Screen share. Held at arm's length, the display fills far more of your visual field than a television across the room, so the same scrolling and shake produce a stronger motion signal. Docking the console or sitting further back is the simplest change, and for a 2D game it is often the whole fix.
Other game motion-sickness guides
Sources & further reading
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Based on publicly reported player experiences and each game's documented settings, as of September 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.