Does playing video games affect your eyes? Yes, playing video games can affect your eyes if playing for long periods – it can cause a recognised condition called digital eye strain. You blink less when you’re focused on a screen, so your eyes dry out.
It can happen to anyone who games regularly, and for most people the discomfort goes away with regular breaks.
Gaming is a normal part of life for millions of people, and occasional eye strain doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Whether you’ve noticed the symptoms yourself or you’re concerned about someone in your life who games a lot, there are simple changes that help.
But sometimes the sore eyes are the symptom that makes you think about how much you’re playing. If the symptoms keep coming back, there may be more to it than screen time.
How does playing video games affect your eyes?
When you game for long periods, your eyes are doing sustained close-up work on a bright screen.
The term computer vision syndrome was once linked mainly to office workers, but is now seen as a wider public health issue, known as ‘digital eye strain’.
The term “video game vision” has also been suggested for the effects of long, continuous gaming sessions. A review on digital eye strain defines it as eye and vision symptoms caused by using digital devices for a long time.
Playing video games can cause discomfort that goes away when you take a break. Two hours on a screen without a break can be enough to bring it on, and if you game for hours every day, it can keep coming back.
Common symptoms of gaming eye strain
Why does gaming cause dry eyes and eye strain?
The main reason that gaming can cause dry eyes and eye strain is because of a lack of blinking. When you blink less, your eyes dry out, and that’s where most of the discomfort comes from.
A study measuring blink rate during video game play found that people blinked much less than usual, both while watching gameplay and while playing. Blinking was lowest in the action game tested, but the difference between games was too small to be sure of. Although it did find that blinks tended to drop further during fast-paced scenes.
The other factor is blue light. Gaming screens emit blue light, which some animal research has linked to stress on the cells in the eyes. The RNIB suggests there is no evidence that blue light from screens is harmful to your eyes; the concern with blue light is mainly about sleep.
Is “gamer eye syndrome” a real diagnosis?
“Gamer eye syndrome” is not a formal clinical diagnosis, and the symptoms it describes fall under digital eye strain. If your eyes are sore after gaming, the cause is the same whether you call it gamer eye syndrome or digital eye strain.
How to protect your eyes while gaming
If you’re an adult, gaming won’t permanently harm your eyes, and the RNIB confirms that screens don’t cause permanent changes to your vision. Long sessions can still leave your eyes uncomfortable, though, and these steps can help.
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet (about 6 metres) away for 20 seconds. The RNIB recommends this to rest your eyes during screen use.
- Keep the lighting in your room even, and stop lamps or windows from reflecting on your screen. Glare makes your eyes work harder.
- Remind yourself to blink. You blink less when you’re focused on a game, and blinking is what keeps your eyes moist.
- Wear your glasses if you have them. The RNIB notes that wearing the right prescription while using screens helps reduce tiredness.
- You don’t need blue light glasses to protect your eyes, though they may help with sleep if you game in the evening.
When gaming eye strain might be a sign of something more
If the tips above solve the problem, that’s all you need. But if your sessions are long enough and frequent enough to cause symptoms that keep coming back, it may be the gaming itself that’s the concern.
The World Health Organization includes gaming disorder in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The WHO says only a small proportion of people who game develop a problem with it. The criteria describe a pattern where:
- Someone finds it hard to control how much they play
- Gaming takes priority over other parts of their life
- They keep playing, or play more, even when it’s causing harm
- The problem is serious enough to affect their relationships, work, or studies.
A review on gaming and vision points out that, now that the WHO recognises gaming disorder, it’s more important to understand how it affects health, including eyesight.
If any of the following feel familiar, they may be signals that your relationship with gaming is changing:
- You find it hard to stop or control how long you play
- Gaming has taken over from activities you used to enjoy
- You keep playing the same amount even though you’ve noticed it’s affecting you
- This has been going on for 12 months or more, or it has become severe more quickly
You can read more about recognising gaming addiction on our site.
How to get help for gaming addiction
If gaming has started to cause problems beyond eye strain, Castle Health can help. We offer outpatient treatment for people whose gaming has become compulsive, with sessions arranged around work or school.
For anyone who needs more support than outpatient care can give, residential treatment is also available through our treatment centres. If you’re concerned about a younger person, our page on gaming addiction in young people covers what to look for and how to get support.
You can also speak to your GP, who can help you decide what kind of support would suit you.
Find out more
If gaming is taking up more time than you’d like, our guide to recognising gaming addiction explains what to look out for.
If someone you know is showing signs of gaming addiction
If someone in your life is complaining of sore eyes or headaches after gaming, the tips earlier can help with the physical symptoms. But if the sessions are getting longer and they get agitated when they can’t play, the sore eyes may be a sign of a bigger problem with gaming itself.
If you want to raise it, the headaches or sore eyes can be an easier place to start, because you’ve both noticed them. Talking about these physical problems can lead into a broader conversation about how much they’re gaming.
It can be difficult to know whether what you’re seeing is too much screen time or something more serious. You don’t have to work that out on your own. You can contact Castle Health directly, and our support for families affected by addiction is there for people in exactly this position.
“I contacted Castle Health with a view to getting online support after a period in rehab. They recommended recovery coaching and arranged for me to meet my coach in person as the first of 10 meetings. I continued the coaching on Zoom as I live in France. I was very happy with my 10 sessions and feel I am in a good place to continue my recovery.”
Frequently asked questions about if playing video games affects your eyes
Does gaming affect eyesight permanently?
For adults, no. The RNIB confirms that you can’t harm your eyes by using a computer or screen. Digital eye strain causes discomfort, but the symptoms are temporary and go away when you rest your eyes. Children are a little different, because research has linked a lot of screen time with a higher chance of becoming short-sighted.
Do blue light glasses actually help with gaming eye strain?
According to the RNIB, blue light from screens hasn’t been shown to harm your eyes. Blue light glasses may help with sleep if you game in the evening, because blue light can affect your body’s production of melatonin. But for eye strain itself, regular breaks are more effective than glasses.
How long can you safely play video games without a break?
The RNIB recommends the 20-20-20 rule, which means taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something in the distance. There’s no single safe duration, but regular short breaks are the most effective way to prevent strain.
Can children develop gaming-related eye problems?
Yes. Children get digital eye strain in the same way adults do. There’s also some evidence that a lot of screen time may raise a child’s chance of becoming short-sighted. If a child is complaining of headaches or sore eyes after gaming, cutting down screen time and following the 20-20-20 rule are good places to start. Time outdoors may also help protect children’s eyesight. If the symptoms continue, their optician can check whether anything else is going on.
If you’re curious about the broader picture, here are a few places to go next.
- Read about recognising gaming addiction to learn more about the signs
- Take our addiction screening questionnaire if you’d like to reflect on your gaming habits privately
- Speak to Castle Health or your GP if you’d like to talk it through
Whenever you’re ready, Castle Health is here.
