KCAL On Your Side: Avoiding VR headset injuries
It was one of the hottest holiday gifts last year, And sales are expected to top 12 billion by 2024. But could wearing a virtual-reality headset be putting users at risk of serious injury?
On Your Side's Kristine Lazar speaks with one woman who now has potentially permanent damage to her eye after an accident while playing a "VR" game with her son.
Experts warn that when you wear a typical VR headset device, your spatial awareness and senses can be thrown off because you're so engrossed in the game. And as a result, it's easier to injure yourself.
It was supposed to be a fun Friday night at home for Emily Mellquist and her son Jack. They decided to use their virtual-reality headset and play a new game called "Walk the Plank," where users experience freefall off an 80-story building.
It was one of the hottest holiday gifts last year, And sales are expected to top 12 billion by 2024. But could wearing a virtual-reality headset be putting users at risk of serious injury?
"And I looked down at the street, and I could see the cars, I could hear the cars, I could hear a helicopter over my head, right away I just felt my body tense, my heart started beating fast," said Mellquist.
Though her mind knew she was in her living room.
"My body thought I was there, and the fight-or-flight response was happening," said Mellquist.
She leaped -- right into her entertainment center.
"The impact of hitting my head on the furniture, that eyepiece went right into my orbital socket," said Mellquist.
That left her with bruising, and she says persistent pain, even potentially permanent problems with her eyelid.
"I think it's important to know that you might not realize what you're getting into when you put that on," said Mellquist.
On social media, there are dozens of videos of VR users injuring themselves. The Reddit group "VR to ER" has more than 90,000 members. A UK insurance company reported a 31-percent jump in home insurance claims for VR-related injuries.
"The technology works with the reality. It alters your reality," said personal injury attorney Mariam Kuregyan. "And I think the risk is, Does the average lay consumer understand that their reality is now altered, therefore the risk of sustaining injuries is a lot higher?"
Meta, which is the parent company of the Oculus VR headset, includes safety information in the packaging and online. User are required to set up a virtual boundary and are encouraged to clear a safe space before using the headset. In a statement to KCAL, a Meta spokesperson said the safety of its VR users is taken seriously.
Experts also recommend taking breaks every 30 minutes when you use a VR headset.
And if the headset affects your balance or makes you feel funny, stop using it immediately.
Like all activities, virtual reality may not be for everyone.