What Are Gaming Glasses & Do They Work?

If you’re an avid gamer, there have probably been times when your eyes felt tired or uncomfortable. You may have had blurred vision or trouble focusing after a long time looking at a screen. If this has happened to you, gaming glasses may be able to help.

Gaming glasses are designed to take some strain off your eyes and enhance video game play. Look for a pair with the following features:

• Comfortable fit– Lightweight frames make it easy to wear gaming glasses all day. Non-slip temple tips and adjustable nose pads keep your eyewear in place.
• Ultra-thin design– Thin frames with slim temples fit better with over-the-ear headsets.
• Sturdy construction–Frame materialssuch as carbon fiber and metal look sleek and are sturdy enough to wear daily.
• Magnification– Some computer gaming glasses have magnifying lenses which can reduce squinting while you’re gaming.
• Anti-reflective lens coating– An AR coating helps reduce glare from your screen, which can help relieve symptoms of eye strain and improve your game play.

Gaming glasses help provide relief to your eyes from digital eye strain, which can be caused by the following screen-related factors:

• Extended periods of time looking at a screen
• Glare from your screen
• Sitting too close to or too far from your computer
• Looking at your screen from the wrong angle

Symptoms of eye strain include:

• Blurry vision
• Dry eyes
• Headaches
• Watery eyes

An anti-reflective (AR) coating in gamer glasses is especially critical for providing relief from glare. This coating is applied to the front and back of each lens to prevent reflections and glare from digital screens. Here’s how AR coating can help you:

• More light reaches your eyes and improves your vision.
• The color contrast of the game is enhanced.
• Your eyes can focus better, which may improve your reaction times while playing.

Even if you wear gaming eyewear, it’s a good idea to give your eyes a break every once in a while. Here are some other ways to reduce symptoms of digital eye strain:

• Practice the 20-20-20 rule– Every 20 minutes, focus on something 20 feet away from your digital screen for at least 20 seconds.
• Sit back– For maximum comfort, you should be an arm’s length or 25 inches away from your screen. You should also be looking at it from a slightly downward angle.
• Use artificial tears– Artificial tears are drops that lubricate your eyes to provide relief from temporary causes of dry eye such as staring at a screen.
• Blink more –On average, humans blink their eyes about 15 times per minute. But when looking at a digital device or doing other close-up work like reading, the number of times a person blinks can drop to just seven or eight times per minute. Blinking helps keep your eyes moist by distributing tears across the surface of your eyes.

Eye fatigue is a real issue for gamers. It was the No. 1 complaint among collegiate electronic game players in a recent study.

Gamer glasses work by alleviating the symptoms of eye fatigue and eye strain while you’re gaming. Gaming glasses can also help your eyes when you’re looking at screens for work or school.

Let us elevate your gaming experience and help protect your eye health with gaming glasses . We have styles and colors to suit any gamer, and you can get prescription gaming glasses too.

SOURCES

1. Best Glasses for Gaming: Why You Want Them. MyVision.org. March 2022.
2. Do Gaming Glasses Really Work? Yes, They Do… But Not For Everyone. All About Vision. March 2020.
3. Computer Vision Syndrome. Cedars Sinai. Accessed July 2023.
4. Digital Devices and Your Eyes. American Academy of Ophthalmology. October 2022.
5. Lubricating Eye Drops for Dry Eyes. American Academy of Ophthalmology. February 2022.
6. Changes in Blink Rate and Ocular Symptoms During Different Reading Tasks.Clinical optometry. November 2017.
7. Managing the Health of the eSport Athlete: An Integrated Health Management Model.BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. January 2019.