Regularly Playing First-Person Shooter Videogames Improves Dynamic Visual Acuity.

Abstract

This study investigated the dynamic visual acuity (DVA) in young adults that play action video games regularly compared with non-action video games players and those without regular experience in videogame play. The results indicate better performance in some measurements of DVA in action video game players. This study aims to provide new insights about performance on DVA assessments in young adults who play action video games regularly. A cross-sectional study was conducted between action video game and non-action video game players with 47 participants, range from 20 to 30 years old. DVA with 2 different angular velocities, 57 °/s and 28.5 °/s and three different contrast, 100%, 50% and 10% were evaluated. A second analysis with 33 participants compared DVA between action video game players and non-experience videogames or less than 1 hour/week in gaming. Dynamic visual acuity in the first analysis revealed a non-statistical significance between groups in all the experimental conditions with 57 °/s and 28.5 °/s in three different contrasts. The second analysis with 33 participants revealed a statistical significance in DVA at 57 °/s and 28.5 °/s with contrast 100 %, P = .003 and P < .001, respectively. Dynamic visual acuity seems to have better performance in young adults spending more than 5 hours/week with action videogames, mostly first-person shooter games.