So, I have read a few posts like this on the forum before, and the solutions have not helped.
I get this bizarre feeling in my eyes when I play retail WoW, it’s almost as if my eyes are itchy/aching/sore. It usually triggers within 10 minutes of playing the game. This really sucks because WoW is one of my all time favourite games but it’s become unplayable.
I’m not sure if anyone else gets the same thing and has found something that helps? Things I have tried;
F.lux (this is always on for me)
Seeing an optitian, nothing wrong, perfectly fine eyesight
Tuning the brightness/contrast
Turning off antialiasing
I really appreciate any help here. FYI, I do not get this issue at all when playing other games… Classic WoW, FFXIV, GW2 ect.
Normally my advice is to see an optician but as you say you have and assuming they checked the general health of your eyes…
Itching or a gritty/swollen feeling in the lining of the eyes can be a symptom allergies - as well as hayfever (the most common cause) - this can be caused by common household chemicals like air fresheners, cleaning products and even mold from dampness. When we stare at a screen we blink less which causes our eyes to dry out and this can make symptoms more noticeable.
If you’ve recently changed an air fresher or cleaning product it might be worth stopping using it to see if things get better - and regularly looking away from the screen and making a point to blink can help a lot too.
Dry eyes is also a common side effect of some medications so if you do take any I’d suggest discussing with your doctor if that could be the issue.
If you did not tell your optician about these symptoms at the time I’d also suggest going back (or seeing a doctor) as if they are aware there are further checks they can do to help you get to the bottom of the issue!
Instead of optician (which specialize on lenses, not eyes and diseases of eyes) I would suggest getting appointment with ophthalmologist (“eye doctor”). Especially if you are older 40+ and haven’t had proper eye exam. Make sure to tell all the symptoms.
So, just to add… I have absolutely no issue with other games at all, which is what makes me think there must be something with WoW that is triggering this?
As for medication/allergies/health issues, I’m pretty fit & healthy, so I don’t take any meds for anything.
You mentioned that WoW Classic is fine. I’d check all settings with fine tooth comb to see if there are any differences. Scaling, anti-alias, sharpening, resolution scale, everything including the settings not visible in the default uI by defaul (though accessing these is bit difficult as they are just stored in cvars).
Camera settings are somtehing to check, too.
Personally if font size is too small I find my eyes can get strained in longer sessions.