Concerns about head mounted displays have led to numerous studies about their potential impact on the visual system. Yet, none have investigated if the use of Virtual Reality (VR) Head Mounted Displays with their reduced field of view and visually soliciting visual environment, could
reduce the spatial spread of the attentional window. To address this question, we measured the useful field of vision in 16 participants right before playing a VR game for 30 minutes and immediately afterwards. The test involves calculation of a presentation time threshold necessary for efficient
perception of a target presented in the centre of the visual field and a target presented in the periphery. The test consists of three subtests with increasing difficulty. Data comparison did not show significant difference between pre-VR and post-VR session (subtest 2: F(1,11) = .7 , p =
.44; subtest 3 F(1,11) = .9 , p = .38). However, participants’ performances for central target perception decreased in the most requiring subtest (F(1,11) = 8.1, p = .02). This result suggests that changes in spatial attention could be possible after prolonged VR presentation.