PlayStation VR: Lens Fog Can Be a Major Problem

A.J. says: "I recently had the chance to play around with Sony's newfangled PlayStation VR. It was quite an impressive experience, but there's one thing holding me back from rushing out and buying one..."

[crazyaejay]

I got to play it at the mall a few months ago and had the same problem! How come no one's talking about this?!

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

"Can be a problem"

Maybe not everyone is having a problem at all?

[Apex13]

*Fanboy emotions kicked in

[S2Killinit]

@crayzajay
They did talk about it and they said the PSVR headset has less of a fogging problem compared to the other two because it isnt pressed against your face. Obviously you cant completely avoid fogging but thats what the reviewers said.

[Eonjay]

Jim Sterling mentioned it but said that he had this problem with vive and not on PSVR. Your welcome.

[RufustheKing]

The Vive has the same problem and its a annoying which takes about 5 minutes to clear. But saying that, the rift is very hot so no fogging but it can dry your eyes and they get sore quicker if you are playing for a while

[amnalehu]

Ive played it and did not have this problem

[rainslacker]

Maybe because it has a solution? people who wear glasses should be accustomed to any number of things which fog up their glasses.

There are plenty of solutions that a simple google search could provide you, or you could look at my comment further down the thread. Or I'll simply repeat myself here.

More people I'm sure will talk about it and probably complain about it, but how many of them are going to go and actually try to find if there's an actual easy solution to the problem...some as cheap as one's own saliva rubbed along the bottom rim of one's glasses which will dry clear(assuming you aren't on a red kool aid and Cheetos binge) and provides the necessary change in humidity to prevent condensation on glasses.

More permanent solution, which will help everywhere for people that wear glasses is to get something like this.

https://www.rainx.com/produ...

Available at hardware and auto parts stores for $3-7 depending on type and quantity. I find the wipes most convenient for glasses, as they clean really well, but the spray on stuff is semi-permanent....albeit costs more....but it'll last forever and be useful for several purposes.

[nitus10]

On the Rainx bottle there is a warning and it is in very small type.

"Do not use on plastics unless pre-approved by the manufacturer of the plastic to be treated."

I have used Rainex on my own glasses (hard plastic) without problems but it is best to check with Sony to see if the PSVR lenses are fine with using Rainx on them. Personally, I do think there would be a problem given what you have said but it is always best to check. If there are no problems then when using Rainx only use a very small amount and don't use a tissue use a micro fibre cloth.

[joeorc]

@rainslacker

👏, simple straightforward and to the freaking Point , what you just showed was common freaking sense in how to solve a issue..try to find a solution, that is what talking to others and research is for, we have at our disposal one of the best research tool in existence today it's called the Internet!

One of which before in relative terms we as humanity just Acquired ..ask your grandparents about how they did research.. LMAO..

Children today have in most cases one of the best tools for research on how to look to fix problems , and what do they do..complain about something instead of looking for
👉 a solution...👈

Thumbs up!

[FamilyGuy]

I was using rainx on my car window and stupidly decided to wipe some on my headlights. It RUINS certain plastics. It eats away at it leaving a foggy, permanent residue like it was some soft form of acid. I wouldn't bring that stuff within 10 feet of a PSVR. It might work fine on the actual lens but if you get a drop on the regular plastic parts it could leave a permanent stain making your HMD look cheap, messy and not well taken care of.

Rainx is crazy, that warning is a serious one!

[rainslacker]

@Family

Yeah, Guess I've been lucky there.

But, to stress again since it's been pointed out, check before applying to one's glasses, and maybe let someone else do the testing on the interior lenses if they become a problem.

I never used it on my headlights, but I do recall there being something about not using it there, or testing a small spot first.

[Gamist2dot0]

How come? Because it's a rare issue that can be resolved? I got to try PSVR for over an hour and the only time there was a fog issue was because I had the lens too close to my eyes at first attempt, everything was blurry until I made the correct adjustment and the fog went away and visuals were sharp. It's the same issue I have with my sunglasses; it builds up at first when I put them on then goes away in seconds.

[Silly gameAr]

Because some people don't make mountains out of molehills?

[UCForce]

What the problem is though ?

[Red_Renegade]

trolls are the problem. that's it. not a big enough deal to get worried over.

[bluefox755]

Not to be rude or anything, but this is a problem mainly for fat people. If you sweat a lot, it shouldn't come as a surprise that you would fog up an enclosed lens right next to your face. You might also run into this problem if you're playing in a very warm, or poorly ventilated room.
@Aenea I have worn glasses, for years before I got contacts. Those also fog up if you sweat too much, though it's not as easy to do considering there's no enclosure. It's basic elementary school science, lol. The heat from your face cools down when it touches the lens, hence the fogging.

[Aenea]

Clearly you never had glasses....

[Lonnie18]

That's all you got dude? Hot breath fog lol?

[XanderZane]

Cause fanboys don't want to hear anything negative about it. Especially on this site. It probably will be a problem for some, but if the headset can be adjusted properly, the problem should be minimal or go away. I know when I wear 3D glasses, they always fog up 1/2 way through the film and I have to take them off and clean them. My regular glasses never fog up, they just get dirty. The PSVR comes with a cleaning cloth for the lens, so I'm sure it will be put to good use. There are always a few kinks when new hardware is released. Nothing we should be surprised about.

[Red_Renegade]

more like cuz it isn't a big deal and nobody cares except fanboys.

[XanderZane]

@Red_Renegade
It can be a big deal for the gamer who continuously has this problem. There should be some solutions to solve the problem. Things like this is always a big deal when new hardware launches. Motion sickness will also be an issue for many. Deflecting the issues won't solve the problems.

[Dark_Knightmare2]

Maybe it's a very rare occurrence because I've read numerous reviews from all the big name sites and not one has talked about lens fogging

[2600Thunder]

RTFM and you'll be fine.

[warriorcase]

I have a vive so can only speak for that but when we have 3 player parties with it we have no fog issues at all. Perhaps it needed to be adjusted better? Or perhaps it only if your a very sweaty kind of person. Either way I doubt this will be wide spread concern im hoping, probably just a sweaty few

[rainslacker]

Pro tip. Lick your finger, then rub it along the bottom edge of your glasses. No more fog.

Did this when I wore glasses and did wood working which I wore goggles for. Works great on both glasses and goggles.

Better solution, go buy a $3 bottle of anti-fog spray at a hardware or auto parts store. Treat your glasses. No more fog....even when you aren't using the PSVR.

Use what's left over in your car and you won't have foggy windows on those cold winter mornings. Apply what's left over to your bathroom mirrors, and now when you get out of the shower, you will be able to see yourself without wiping off the mirror. With the rest of what's left, do something else with it. That stuff goes a long way.

It absolutely amazes me that none of the people that seem to complain about it could relate these problems to common eyewear issues that have been around forever which you think those who wear glasses would be well experienced with by now. Easily googled solutions, two of which I have personally used and can attest to.

[crazyaejay]

I don't wear glasses. The VR headset's lenses fogged up.

[Red_Renegade]

same things work, genius.

[DeadlyOreo]

Lol crazyaejay is clueless 😂

[rainslacker]

I've been using the PSVR for several months at work, and while I have had my glasses fog up slightly on the first occasions I wore them, never have I had to lenses fog up(wearing glasses or contacts). I ended up using the rainx on my glasses as I keep some in my car for when I decide to clean the inside really well, and the fogging was minimal and only around the bottom where my glasses are closer to my face. After treatment, no issue at all.

However, someone pointed out above that you should make sure that your lenses can be treated with it.

Before treatment, which I did after lunch the day it was an issue, I simply lifted up the headset for a few seconds, and all was well again. Obviously some people might have more issues if they are prone to producing more heat from their head, or their environment or whatever.

That being said, I suppose it'd be possible to treat the PSVR lenses as well, however, I wouldn't personally want to use my own headset for such a thing in case it could damage the lenses.

But if the lenses are fogging up, just a drop of water will solve the problem. Swimmers do this for goggles, and I did it when I wore eye protection for woodworking. Just a bit of saliva will work.

I will say though, that the occassional fogging is an annoyance, but compared to the other headsets, the PSVR is 10X more comfortable for those that wear glasses than the OR.

[WeAreLegion]

Thanks for the tips, dude!

[Silly gameAr]

You're just full of tips rain. If we still had the bubble system I would give you a well said or informative bub..

[welly300]

It happens on all vr sets not just psvr galaxy vr is a nightmare.

[Muadiib]

That's just not true, it's not an issue for the Vive or the Rift, the latter was especially built to be incredible breathable, not that I would give Facebook my money.

[welly300]

I'm sorry but they do, just check do a search.

[Dark_Knightmare2]

That's bullshit both rift and vive have the same problem. Jim sterling even said he had a problem with the vive fogging up on him but not a problem with psvr doing it.

[bolimekurac]

never happened on my gear vr

[XanderZane]

True, it does happen with all of them. Fanboys can stay in denial all they want.

[AndreR]

its mindblowing that sony thinks ps vr is ready for mainstream when it has so many problems. the tracking of the headset and move is the most important. its like, when nintendo first released super mario bros on the NES. What if mario didnt respond at times when jumping. its terrible.

[DeadlyOreo]

Your name fits you well. We'll just ignore you.

[fr0sty]

Like when Nintendo first released NES, and you had to blow on your cartridges just to make them work? Or the various tracking and alignment issues Wiimote had? Move too had issues. so did Kinect. PSVR will as well, as will NX and any other piece of hardware that is ever released to a mass market audience. You can't make millions of devices that never malfunction.

[VideoChums]

So, should we not bother bringing up these malfunctions then?

[Red_Renegade]

it's not a malfunction. the headset still works. it happens to other stuff, too. and it's not a major issue. i played a full match of rigs and didn't have any fog. the guy who played before me didn't say anything, either. prolly not a widespread thing. not worth a whole article and all this drama.

[Goldby]

ohh mee gawd!

The camera cant see my move controllers cuz im moved out of their tracking what emm i to do?

[bolimekurac]

return it and stay away form the fad that is vr

[XanderZane]

I don't think the PSVR has full 360 degree tracking though. So if you turn your back to the camera and have the Move Controller in front of your chest, does your hands disappear in the games? You have to always be within a 200-220 degree of the PS Camera?

LOL @ Disagrees. I was asking a question. Didn't get any answers, so I found it for myself.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pl...

[zanna]

simply you don't know what you're talking about

[ebounce88]

Guy is just giving his opinion. The VR homers just may be the worst ever in terms of being fanboys.. get a real life turds

[Dark_Knightmare2]

Really is that why reviews are overwhelmingly positive from majority of reviewers who have given it high marks and praise saying it easily competes with the higher end rift and vive while being the reason vr will succeed

[Thatgrammar]

@ignore78
Why so much hate? I went to gamestop every Friday/Saturday for two weeks to play all of the playstation vr demos and I never had a problem with anything that has been mentioned by you. The move controllers worked very well and the headset had spot on tracking. I have played playstation vr for over 2 hours at the demo booths and it is wonderful. I tried google cardboard and soon craved a better headset and the psvr offered me exactly that! Its a lot of fun! Go try it:)

[welly300]

Give it chance I've changed my mind so many times on this but at the mo I'm in the pro camp there is going to be tech problems with the first generation. From what I've heard so far most could be fixed with better controllers or software updates. My biggest concern is Sony support.

[Harkins1721]

Maybe he just produced more heat than other people lol

[nitus10]

Wearing a VR headset is not that much of a difference than wearing glasses. Even glasses fog up when the conditions are right such as putting your glasses on when the ambient temperature is low.

[Harkins1721]

Yeah I wouldn't know I don't wear glasses or contacts.

[81BX]

Well this is definetly something that needs to be addressed by all vr headsets. Especially if it has an easy fix. Put a flyer in with the product. If you wear glasses we recommend this product as well... or maybe breath with mouth closed? Idk never wore a vr headset

[Bolts]

I don't have this problem though it could happen to some people. To me eye strain is a bigger issue. After 2hours of VR my eyes feels like I spent all day staring into a flashlight.

[FunAndGun]

Did you take a 15min break for every hour of play?

[81BX]

Chargers will fall to oak today ;)

[WeAreLegion]

The only problem I have is my eyes watering after a while because I forget to blink. If I remember to blink, I have no issues. I can play for hours and hours that way. Or...until my body gives out. An hour of Audioshield will kill your arms.

[rainslacker]

Think the eye strain is something any VR maker would have a hard time trying to fix.

One can get eye strain from just playing games in a dark room, because you tend to focus more on one spot, instead of letting your eye drift naturally. Strain is caused by using the eye muscles more.

With VR, you'd be even more focused, and it'd be even darker....so that's just par for the course unfortunately.

[MasterCornholio]

Can't this be a problem with all VR headsets?

[kneon]

Yes, just like it's been a potential problem for glasses, goggles, helmets and visors ever since they were first invented. Under the right (or is that wrong) conditions you can get fogging.

[joeorc]

@MasterCornholio1h ago
[Can't this be a problem with all VR headsets?]

Yes it is, not just the PSVR due to temperature changes..this was already covered on how and why this happens ..
it's caused by a discrepancy in temperature between the lenses and the phone; or Yourself in any case , that gets narrower after you've been playing for a while) examples are wearing sunglasses out in cold weather and you happen to be wearing a scarf covering your mouth.. It will fog up your sunglasses.

Another is wearing a rebreather & protection glasses while painting or working ..or scuba gear..

It's common with all type of such gear..so you are quite correct in your Question.

So an easy simple tips for VR is readily available for lens care and keeping your headset clean, and a good one would be usage of Rubbing Alcohol on a cloth first and wipe down the parts that touch your skin of your face before putting on the headset!

Especially when changing hands to more users.. That way avoids colds!

https://www.google.com/amp/...

[joeorc]

Oh' for Pete's sake people..😝

Here

Avoid lens fog
Samsung solved most of the tech issues with the Gear VR Innovator Editions, but until someone invents a wonder lens coating that prevents lens fog, chemistry dictates that it will be an issue in every VR headset. After playing for a while fog will go away on its own (it's caused by a discrepancy in temperature between the lenses and the phone; that gets narrower after you've been playing for a while), but you can also be proactive about it.

There are plenty of affordable chemical products designed for scuba gear that get the job done. We've had success with both Clarity Defog It wipes and Jaws Quick Spit, but we prefer the latter simply because it's so much cheaper. It runs around US$6 a bottle on Amazon, and lasts for at least 200 sprays. Before jumping into VR, just spray some solution onto your finger, massage into each lens, wipe off the excess and enjoy fog-free virtual reality.

https://www.google.com/amp/...

There you go, Solution for any VR headset, we know this works, how you may ask..ever wore one of those paper protection masks for painting and protection eye glasses?

Or wearing a scarf in winter time covering your mouth while wearing sun glasses or Perscription glasses?

🙋

[xetiro]

"After playing for what seemed like three to five minutes..."

So you're telling me that Sony have been developing this headset for more then 3 years and you just destroyed its purpose in "what it seemed like 3 to 5 minutes" ?

The irresponsible way that each time more people just write new articles about products they either didn't test or didn't test properly is astonishing. The worst part is to see this people eager to spread their word...

[VideoChums]

If you read the rest of the sentence, it says:

"After playing for what seemed like three to five minutes, I noticed the view got rather blurry."

Meaning: the lenses started to fog after a short while. Please don't copy & paste misleading quotes.

[Red_Renegade]

doesn't change anything.

[d0x360]

I really hope oculus and give take Sony's design of the way it stays in your head plus the forward and back motion of the hmd.

This is classic Sony design. So well done it really something we haven't seen from the company since...either the walkman of PlayStation. It's that level good design wise.

I've had a chance to use it and it's better than I expected so major kudos to Sony. The screen is gorgeous but I wish it had a wider field of view.

If Sony's vr hmd and the vive had a baby it would be the ultimate vr experience... although I hear the upcoming oculus controllers are revolutionary and pretty amazing

[joeorc]

@d0x360

[I hear the upcoming oculus controllers are revolutionary and pretty amazing]

They really are, if you had the prototypes to try out you would be pretty excited to say the least.. All the motion control wand controllers like the Move, Vive & OculusRift wireless wand controllers are just a natural way to control & interactions inside a VR environment.. Now of course with price points and Sensors and everything, you are going to end up with various degree's of accurate tracking or effective usage in design & theory for games and Applications that span the VR headsets..but most importantly is that majority of the time all of them just work..they are all pretty great in how they are useful inside VR..

Which is really important for the feeling of Presence inside VR..as for trying out many VR HMD's you really cannot go wrong today with any of them, because VR today vs the VR of the 80's & 90's today's VR are just a very big step up..it's just that much better..

[shammgod]

I had this problem using the Samsung gear vr. Haven't tried PS VR, but I think as long as you aren't outside on a humid day or an extremely sweaty person that just took a blazing hit shower, I think you should be good.

[crazyaejay]

I played it in a mall and it fogged up...

[McErono]

every VR headset fogs up. the lenses have room temperature, your face is much warmer = fog. I let my vive heatup for about 10mins so the oled screens produce some heat. after the lenses have the same temperature as your face - no more fogging.

[Muadiib]

By far the worst aspect of the GearVR was the fogging, this is a major flaw that's not to be underestimated. It completely ruins the experience honestly. This is why you shouldn't build your headset in cheap looking plastic.

[rainslacker]

What would you suggest they build it out of that would get rid of the fog....which is a naturally occurring event on any surface.

[1Victor]

GHOST RIDER

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

ahhh, i was wondering how they were fogging lol i thought there were just a bunch of heavy-ass mouth-breathers lol i still think it would be ok~

[fllysurfer]

If you are heavy breather or a sweaty bastard, its going to happen on any VR headset.

[Armyntt]

Can't use any of the antifog wipes sold everywher?

[masterfox]

hundreds of people have tried PSVR in the past months and not single one have mention of this issue, probably this will affect the ones who sweats the most. :D

[Condemnedman]

no way vr is going mainstream it would be fun for a while and then it will be like "where's my 350?"

[Xavy]

"Major problem" LOL

[guitarded77]

Especially if you're playing one of them adults only games.

[ChronoJoe]

Having played battlezone's demo (15mins) on two occasions I definitely didn't experience this. I wonder what's causing it for these people? None of the people I went to the demo's with reported anything similar, but I don't doubt that certain people do have this issue.

Driveclub looked awful for me, so much so that a 5 minute demo gave me a migraine, but I thought Battlezone was phenominal. VR is still in its infancy so there are going to be issues and some of these are going to effect people differently, looks like this may be the case with this fog too.

[2600Thunder]

Major? No. All lenses fog up under certain conditions. RTFM, respect it, and we'll be fine. Even though this is a kind of high tech "toy" it is still required to learn how to care for it.

[Drakul]

I tried that thing, you know what, weight is the problem, this thing is very very heavy, you can not play 1 hour with that thing on your head.

[MagicBeanz]

I found a simple solution for this potential problem, I avoid this VR gimmicky bull crap all together.