The Positives of Gaming
Times are pretty odd right now and many of us have struggled to keep a smile on our faces over the past twelve months. The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has seen a whole host of trouble sweep over the world, varying from severe illness and even death to people experiencing loneliness, boredom, isolation, and financial hardship as a result of having to stay home and being unable to head out and do the things they’d usually want to do. Of course, it’s important that we all continue to follow government regulations and guidelines to continue slowing the spread of the virus until everyone is vaccinated. But at the same time, you may be looking for ways to occupy yourself and keep yourself feeling positive in the meantime. This pursuit has recently led to a major increase in the number of people realising and discovering the positives of gaming. Gaming can come hand in hand with a whole host of benefits at any time, but they are coming in even more useful than ever right now. Here are just a few of the benefits that might encourage you to get involved!
It’s Fun
First and foremost, let’s focus on what is probably the most appealing benefit and positive of gaming – and what is perhaps the most common reason that people choose to game. Gaming is fun. It provides you with distraction. It gives you something to do. It can occupy a short period of time or hours of your time depending on how involved or engaged you want to get with it. Honestly, that’s one of the beauties of gaming because there are so many different types of games and genres that there’s literally something for everyone out there. You can even find poker games that are fun rather than intensive and stress-inducing. While saying “video games are fun” can be fairly vague, it is true that there are so many video games out there that there is something fun for everyone.
During this pandemic, this is a huge perk. We’re not really able to do a lot of the things that we might have spent our free time doing before the spread of coronavirus and Covid-19 around the world. We can’t go out much and we can’t socialise with people from other households freely right now. Instead, we’re cooped up in our own homes and have limited contact with others. Now, many people have picked up many indoor hobbies as a result. Baking. Reading. Learning languages. Arts and crafts. The list goes on with potential opportunities. But gaming is ranking highly in things people are doing right now to provide themselves with sheer entertainment. Never underestimate the value of fun! It’s something that we should all be incorporating into our lives wherever possible. If you’re looking to boost the fun in your own gaming experience, make sure to take a look at a number of different consoles, consider the Best Games From 2020, as well as the best games from 2021 so far, and consider gaming on PC too!
It Can Be Social
So many of us are really missing our friends and family members who don’t live with us right now. This is understandable. For some of us, it’s been a year since we’ve really spent any quality time with anyone other than the people who live under the same roof as us. Sure, there are phone calls and video calls. But often, these end up seeing us talk more about the pandemic that we’re living through. If you’re looking to actually engage in an activity with your loved ones and to take your minds off the pandemic while hanging out virtually with each other for a while, gaming can offer the ultimate solution. When you game, you are both engaged in a task that is fully immersive and that you can truly enjoy together. You can talk to one another while you play and you can actually do something together rather than just talking. This can prevent you from falling into dull conversation about the pandemic and other struggles and can allow you to focus on something more fun and positive together instead.
It Can Be Good for Your Physical Health
Believe it or not, gaming can also be good for your physical health. Now, when we think of gaming, the majority of us will find ourselves thinking of someone sat in front of a console or computer for hours on end, barely moving and (generally) engaging in an activity that isn’t really doing much in favour of their physical health. Of course, this can be the case sometimes. But gaming offers plenty of opportunities for physical health and exercise. This is extremely beneficial considering (for many of us) gyms are closed, sports clubs are closed, fitness classes are closed and we’re struggling to find enjoyable ways to work out besides walking around the local area (keeping a two-meter distance from others) or cycling if we’re fortunate enough to own a bicycle. The good news that gaming brings is that certain games can help you to get your recommended one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week or your recommended seventy-five minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise each week.
VR (Virtual Reality)
The best type of gaming for fitness is VR gaming. VR stands for “virtual reality” and often sounds like something from science fiction or the future. However, VR is something that you can engage with right now if you have the right equipment. Investing in a quality VR system and VR headset can give you an experience of something that doesn’t really exist and provide you with a fully immersive experience where you can get yourself moving. Of course, don’t go running around with the headset on, as you’ll hit objects in real life. But these simulated worlds in VR games are explorable and you can get some physical movement in as you undertake activities in this virtual world.
AR
Another great form of gaming that has encouraged fitness has been AR. AR stands for “augmented reality” and is a gaming experience that is highly interactive without the need for a headset that can block your perception of the real world around you. Put simply, when you play an AR game, you will likely be playing on an app on your phone, and the game will access your phone’s camera to place computer-generated objects that do not actually exist onto the environment being seen through your phone’s camera. The most popular AR game of late that can really help you to get exercising and reaching your recommended 10,000 steps a day? Pokemon Go! This game takes the form of an app that can be downloaded to your phone for free. When you open the game, your front camera is activated, meaning you can see what is actually in front of you in real life on the screen. However, as you walk around, computer-generated Pokemon will appear on your screen for you to attempt to catch. Of course, when heading out to play Pokemon Go at the moment, you simply need to make sure that you don’t go too far from home and that you keep a two-meter distance between you and others who are out walking in the same area. Also, make sure to take the usual precautions that you would while being occupied by your phone in public. Make sure to keep an eye on the roads, to look properly before crossing them, and to avoid heading into any areas that could compromise your safety. There are, of course, a number of other AR games that you may want to take into consideration. Pokemon Go is just the most popular amongst the majority of people of late.
Wii Sports
Another VR option is Wii Sports. This doesn’t require a costly system or headset. Instead, you simply require a Wii console and controller and a Wii game that encourages physical exercise. The best example is Wii Sports, which will encourage you to use the controller as a handheld pointing device and will allow you to engage with a number of sports activities, either with yourself or someone else who lives with you in your house through a multiplayer option. It can really get your heart pumping and you sweating, providing you with a great workout from the comfort of your own home.
Dance Games
Dance games are another great form of exercise during this pandemic. They set you with a challenge, allow you to dance along to songs of your choosing, and really get you exercising. Ever get that achy feeling after you’ve had a good night out and really thrown some shapes or attended a dance class at your local gym? That’s your body recovering from the exercise you’ve had and you can recreate this through the use of a dance mat!
Of course, these are just a few of the benefits of gaming right now. There are plenty more and you’re bound to experience them once you get started, or may have already experienced them if you’re a regular gamer already. What is important is that if you enjoy gaming, you can get involved and enjoy it, bringing some moments of joy to each day. Just make sure to practice gaming in moderation. While it can provide an appreciated momentary escape, it shouldn’t become all-consuming escapism and you should ensure that you’re still meeting your other responsibilities around it!
