Playing videogames improves eyesight

Action games do most good

8 February 2007 11:40 GMT / By Chris Ford

Remember when your mother told you that if you stayed in front of the TV all day your eyes would go square? Well researchers at The University of Rochester have published a paper in Psychological Science on playing games and the effect it has on eyesight.

The paper reported a significant difference between the visual sharpness of subjects after playing action-oriented titles.

In the test, Unreal Tournament gamers experienced greater improvements to visual acuity and peripheral vision than those who had played Tetris.

Professor Daphne Bavelier, who conducted the study, said the research may prove wrong those who claim that the part of the brain that controls visual acuity can’t improve in adulthood.

She also claimed that gaming probably has a greater affect on eyesight than passive media, such as movies or television shows because of the required participation.

Full tags

Gaming, PC games, Gaming industry