The Long Dark Motion Sickness: Why It Happens & What Helps
The Long Dark is a slow first-person survival game. It has a field of view setting, which a 2018 update stopped capping at 100, mouse adjustment sliders in the Options menu, and optional motion blur from the 2025 visual update. Hinterland's notes do not mention a head bob toggle. Checked October 2026.
PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch · first-person · Partial settings · Player-reported motion-sickness risk: rarely reported by players.
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
Risk levels summarise what passengers and riders commonly report, not measured testing.
Key facts
- The Long Dark runs on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch.
- The camera is first-person.
- 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 FOV.
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Why The Long Dark can trigger motion sickness
You walk through cold, open country in first person, and the camera bobs as you walk. Hinterland's patch notes mention camera bob and a FOV setting, and PCGamesN reports that the May 2025 visual update lets you activate motion blur. Most of the game is slow walking, which is gentler than a fast shooter. Long walks with camera bob may still bother some players. The sources opened name no setting to turn the camera bob off.
- Camera bob as you walk, which Hinterland's patch notes mention
- Motion blur, if you turn it on in the visual settings
- Long stretches of walking in first person
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Comfort settings in The Long Dark
The Long Dark ships some comfort settings, but not a full set.
| Setting | Where | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| FOV | In-game settings | Widen it a step at a time if the view feels closed in, and test each change. Hinterland fixed it being limited to 100 in 2018 |
| Motion Blur | In-game settings | Leave it off. If you have turned it on, set it to Low or switch it off again. The 2025 notes say the new visual features are optional and sit in the Display and Advanced Settings |
| Mouse adjustment sliders | Options | Lower mouse sensitivity so the camera turns more slowly |
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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In-game settings
Field of view, camera shake and motion blur fix the cause on screen, where the game offers them.
Dizzout
Sound therapy through any headphones, for when the nausea has already started. Eyes open or closed, on any phone, with relief in about 90 seconds.
What helps beyond the settings
- Widen the field of view a step at a time and test each change
- Keep Motion Blur off
- Lower mouse sensitivity and turn the camera slowly
- Stop for a break on long walks, and look at something still and far away until the queasy feeling passes
- A drug-free sound-therapy app like Dizzout is designed to help once symptoms have started, through the headphones you already use.
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 you change the FOV in The Long Dark?
Yes. Hinterland's patch notes refer to a FOV setting, and an update in June 2018 fixed "FOV being limited to 100". The notes do not give the full range or the default, or say whether every console version has it.
How do I turn off head bob in The Long Dark?
The sources we opened do not show a head bob or camera bob toggle. Hinterland's patch notes mention camera bob while walking but name no setting for it. Widening the field of view and lowering mouse sensitivity are the options we could confirm.
Does The Long Dark have motion blur?
It can. PCGamesN's report on the May 2025 visual update says you can activate motion blur. Hinterland says the new visual features are optional and can be turned on or off in the Display and Advanced Settings. If motion blur bothers you, leave it off.
Where are the accessibility options in The Long Dark?
Hinterland grouped its accessibility features under Options, then Accessibility, in October 2021, and added a swear filter and a misophonia filter there. A December 2022 post points to an Autowalk option in the same menu. None of these are motion settings.
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Other game motion-sickness guides
Sources & further reading
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/2842216343260525988
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/4186652357021457945
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/1800357164575641
- https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-long-dark/update-visuals
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/2499943313627349174
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/377538367951126708
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/4069556867201221254
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/4980448574103572688
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/3244179105175209466
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/305620/view/1828894815558800
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/305620/The_Long_Dark/
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Based on publicly reported player experiences and each game's documented settings, as of October 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.