Vision Loss

Researchers at the University of Rochester say shoot-em up games like “Halo,” “Gears of War” and “Unreal Tournament” may actually improve your eyesight.

They found action games help players block out visual distractions, resulting in sharper vision. Novice gamers who played video games for at least 30 hours over four-to-six weeks improved their ability to ignore visual clutter by at least 15-to-20 percent.

Sedate games like “Tetris” don’t have the same effect.

“Action video game play changes the way our brains process visual information,” University of Rochester professor Daphne Bavelier said in a prepared statement. “After just 30 hours, players showed a substantial increase in the special resolution of their vision, meaning they could see figures like those on an eye chart more clearly, even when other symbols crowded in.”

Visual improvements were not only seen in the center of the video game visual field, but also at the periphery, suggesting that people with vision problems may be able to increase visual acuity.

But don’t throw away your glasses just yet.

Visual improvements were minute because the study was based on 32 students who had good vision. So miniscule, in fact, that an optometrist would probably not be able to recognize the difference in an eye test.

“People think that they’re going to replace their prescription lenses with video games—no, no, no!” Bavelier said.

Even still, the research suggests high-action video games can be used as rehab therapy for people with vision problems like amblyopia.

“These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it,” Bavelier said in a prepared statement. “That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life.”