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[Rambotito]

47 here...I think? I don't even count anymore. I'm about the same as I was 20 years ago. I don't have any weird pains in my body and I try to exercise at least a couple times a week. My advice is to definitely keep the weight off because it will make you feel 10 years older.

My gaming tastes have changed a lot though....now I hate competitive multiplayer and just focus on single player games. I used to be a huge Quake TF addict and then an MMO junkie. Now I would never touch anything like that. Even with kids I still manage to play quite a bit at night when they go to bed, but not every day. I think my reaction time is still half decent but I just play games to relax and get immersed into something. I'm afraid to start Persona 5 though - it would take me 3 months to finish it.

The best thing is that now I can buy all the toys that I want. Just nabbed a new console because why not.

 

[twilo99]

yoga at least x3 week, stretch hip flexor daily, and of course a good chair.

Find a used steelcase or herman miller.

I have a steelcase leap v1 and its absolutely amazing.

edit. you can find them in the $200-300 range on craigslist

Steelcase leap ergonomic office chair - furniture - by owner - sale (craigslist.org)

 

[DragonNCM]

Damn....48y old here .......nothing is like before......BUT STILL CAN KICK ASS IN DOOM ETHERNAL & League of legends.....still enjoying games like Dishonored, Resident evil, Halo , The Immortals: Phenix rising , zelda etc.
use to be a gamer who was playing all games on hardest but now my reflexes are not like they use to be. Usually now I'm playing on normal or difficulty above normal .Damn when I think of playing all halo games on legendary...good times.

 

[PropellerEar]

40+
I have a increased lack of patience of grind and games wasting my time.
Reaction time is going down but is still fine.
I visit this science museum from time to time, they have a reaction time tester, few years ago did top results many times in a row, now few years later I was still fast enough but couldn't match my previous results at all.

 

[TheGodfather07]

for me things have changed alot mentally. i just cant game for hours and hour anymore. i can barely manage 2 hours straight these days. how i miss being 17! i used to regularly have 4-5 hour sessions back than. im 29 now.

 

[Matt_Fox]

Hello fellow old skools... I'm pleasantly surprised so many of us on the forum!

I'm 49 but still get those Xmas day tingles when a new game I've been looking forward to comes out.

Always had good eyesight but recently got some 'gaming glasses' - figured if I've got a 4K TV then ought to see it pin sharp!

Annoyingly do have 'gamers thumb' in my left wrist, which is from console controller not mouse. I've tried stretching it and whatnot but it seems fairly persistent so am considering acupuncture (anyone tried that?).

 

[Bryank75]

 

[Bigfroth]

47 here I have been gaming since the '80s in arcades and party stores Atari 2600 first console. I lift weights 3 days a week and do rowing/heavy bag work daily eat pretty clean limit the beer. On my weight days, I do train grip and forearm. I have no wrist/hand issues at all even after 6+hour gaming sessions. My chair is just an old man leather rocker/recliner, so I game with my feet up. Sitting for long periods is bad especially as you age so what I do is I set my phone to beep every 45 minutes. I either pause and walk up/down my stairs few times or just do 20 squats right in front of the TV and dive back in lol. simple small moves to keep everything loose.

 

[Osaka_Boss]

Use them until you built strength and your pain should go forever.

Also exercise in general, sitting too much will kill you.

Consult your physiotherapist instead of listening to this guy if you already have RSI, unless you wanna further develop wrist lesions. If you don't have any lesion or wrist problems, start with small routines of wrist balls/pressers. And stay The fuck away from powerballs

 

[N1tr0sOx1d3]

Since starting out with the old Atari Console all the way through to the new gen, I think my hands have kept up, just moisturise daily!…..

 

[CuNi]

With being under 30, I'm probably not one that this article is aimed at, but what I have found out is that most noticeably the feeling of being "overwhelmed" comes from GaaS that are already on the marked for a while.
MMOs, games like Warframe, Destiny 2 etc. if you don't start playing when they release and then keep check on new stuff every now and then but skip 2-3 years and then come back, are so choke full of new mechanics, old stuff revamps etc. that it really is overwhelming sometimes.

Good example would be when I fired up Guild Wars 2 again last week after not playing it for.. 4 years I think.. It felt like I lost all knowledge of the game and it's mechanics, despite having 2 max level characters (minus newest PoF expansion).

 

[Teh Chosen Juan]

in my mid 40s. call of duty started really sucking a few years ago. spawn, die, repeat. not fun. patience for demons souls-like games is gone too. don't have the time to battle over and over again in those games.

 

[MikeM]

With being under 30, I'm probably not one that this article is aimed at, but what I have found out is that most noticeably the feeling of being "overwhelmed" comes from GaaS that are already on the marked for a while.
MMOs, games like Warframe, Destiny 2 etc. if you don't start playing when they release and then keep check on new stuff every now and then but skip 2-3 years and then come back, are so choke full of new mechanics, old stuff revamps etc. that it really is overwhelming sometimes.

Good example would be when I fired up Guild Wars 2 again last week after not playing it for.. 4 years I think.. It felt like I lost all knowledge of the game and it's mechanics, despite having 2 max level characters (minus newest PoF expansion).

Try missing a week of Warzone. You come back and find out that your guns went from good to nerfed and have to watch tutorial videos from Youtube just to see what went from nerfed to good.

 

[Little Chicken]

I'm not 40, but I believe that at that stage you should be supplementing sedentary gaming with yoga, weights and light cardio so your body doesn't age over a cliff over the proceeding years. Good chairs, stretching, increasing blood circulation, etc, nothing you wouldn't know about already but might need to be reminded.

 

[hollams]

Just turned 48 this month and mostly hand, wrist, or thumb pain. I use a program that allows me to remap the Xbox elite controllers paddle buttons so that I can auto-walk in games and that has been a life saver for open world games.

 

[Con-Z-epT]

I'm in my mid 30s and overall i would say i play better than ever.

It is the combination of at least 25 years of experience with video games and the fact that the my body is still in good shape. However i can't lie around for more than two hours without taking a short break. My body tells me to stand up and do something different in between long gaming sessions. The biggest problem for me is mental exhaustion from work. But it is also a good reminder that when i'm mentaly unable to play a game that i should slow down a bit at work.

So as of now the biggest restriction in terms of gaming for me is the time i have available to do so. When i find the time my body is ready to do what i want him to do. I hope it stays that way for some time.

 

[Esca]

I'm 41 and I have some arthritis in my hands and when I would game for a bit it would hurt. Tried doing hand exercises and they helped some but I use compression gloves now instead when playing and they have take away the pain almost completely. I know my reaction time has become crap but I've accepted that over the last couple of years. Parrying is so good damn hard for me that's it's nearly impossible now

 

[StateofMajora]

I'm in my late 20's but i'm still as good and as patient as I was as a kid. But I do have a bit less energy so I definitely play less... but some of that is due to having things to do. I think it's normal for me.

Biggest change is i'm willing to try less new things, but some of that is probably due to knowing what I like and don't like.

 

[smart_brazileiro]

No time mostly. And I tend to play games on easy nowadays. No patience for overly difficult sections. Also something I started doing fairly recently is quitting games early that don't excite me enough. Did it with Scarlet Nexus and Guilty Gear.

 

[Fuz]

43.

Dunno. It feels about the same? Honestly, my reflexes feels the very same as when I played with my C=64 or semi-pro this is a blatant exaggeration Quake 2. Maybe I'm wrong, dunno.
I think I'm just more easily annoyed/bored and chose how to spend my gaming time better*, but this might be due to how much more games we have nowadays.


*Then I go and play gachas.

 

[Fuz]

Speaking of which. In regards to short play times and progressing. How is the Witcher 3? I want to get it on the switch and play it an hour at a time. Is it such a game you can do this or not ? How complex is it ?
Been on a game of thrones kick and I want to play a game with a nice storyline tied to nice battles etc. Is the Witcher this kind of game or anything that could scratch that itch on the switch.

You can save whenever, so it's just up to you.
You probably will *want* more time for single sessions, but won't really *need* it.

 

[Airbus Jr]

33 here i think my reflex and reaction are still good when i play racing game when i play forza horizon 4 and F1 game

I thought im old here surprised to see many people here are older than me

 

[RaySoft]

I'm 45. About the only thing that I still have is the reaction time. As some over me has already commented, my time is more valuable now that before (I mean, ofcourse, closer to death etc.) I think the biggest dispairity between younger self and now is that I don't give a game a fair amount of time to shine and grinding as a whole is almost non-existent. With that said, I have grinded some in Demon's Souls so I could take down the blue dragon, but that's rather an exception.

 

[crozier]

I think most of my problem (reflexes and attention span) is exercise related. Cardio is really good for your reading speed and comprehension. I’ll bet most of that translates into video games too.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

I only play Nintendo games, and they have gotten easier at a faster rate than my skills have deteriorated.

Serious answer: I don’t play lots of games that are ultra competitive or that require lightning fast reflexes. I hit the gym 4 days a week to stay in shape. I use an ergonomic keyboard and a comfortable mouse for work (writing software). So far, so good.

only part that sometimes hurts is when I have to hold down the triggers for long periods of time (e.g. racing games). Sometimes I’ll use my middle fingers for those to give my index fingers a break.

 

[GeorgPrime]

I saw this article last week and it got me thinking about gaming as you age and your physical limitations. The article is focused on reaction times, but I'm more interested in addressing your body breaking down and continuing to play.

I thought maybe we could share some information about coping with different issues and our favorite hobby as we age.

I'm 44 and my first memories of video games were arcades in the early 80s with Q-Bert, PacMan, Mario Bros, BurgerTime, etc. I suspect that if you're around my age (or older) you have probably experienced pain in your hands/arms/forearms as a result of gaming. I get muscle tension in my shoulders and in my forearms and I have tried different stretches over the years to help.

How do you cope? Stretches, ibuprofen, relaxation techniques? This guy has a pretty good channel with some stretches. I tend to grip the controller really tightly, especially with my right (dominant) hand. I would like to change that but I'm finding it difficult to focus on a challenging game and relax your body at the same time. Lately, my old ass has put a pillow under my arm as I game for support lol.

Have you been able to make changes to how you sit, grip, etc that have been beneficial?

I have never discussed this stuff with a doctor, have any of you?

I would love to get GAF's input on these things, I never see this topic discussed on the board and it feels a little more productive than bitching about Switch specs for 5 years (lol)

Like I said in the title, everyone's opinion is welcome, but people with direct experience or some sort of medical knowledge are probably in the best position to provide helpful input.

Losing fast reaction with age. Makes competetive games harder to play the older you get.

 

[Strider Highwind]

I'm 35 and I've been gaming since I was about 5 lol. Was an athlete my entire life playing basketball and football in school, and I've been boxing and still boxing since 14 so I've always been in pretty good shape. Dropped about 30lb's during the pandemic trying to get into running and im skin/bones now lolol

With regards to gaming I just take breaks, stretch, I've always had dogs too so I take them for a walk multiple times a day, and even though im old as hell I prefer sitting on the floor when I game(my wife thinks its hilarious) so I do have to do a good bit of stretching. Get a roller for your back

I do feel my response times are a LITTLE bit slower when it comes to shooters and fighting games. Then again I don't play as much as I used to for those types of titles, and in my old age I prefer single player adventure games and RPG's

 

[Airbus Jr]

I think you can play when youre old

Playing videogame arent like playing basketball or football or anything that demand peak physical condition

My father was pushin 70 when he played Gran Turismo 5 and he was really good at it

 

[GustavoLT]

I´m married with a son, video games help me keep my sanity! Age 39!

 

[LordOfChaos]

I think I have much less patience now. My attention span has worsened. Reaction times have slowed dramatically. I'm pretty sure I have some sort of injury in my wrists and hands from gaming all these years, I can't do long periods of gaming, I need more frequent breaks.

I had been thinking about making a thread about a similar thing OP. Mine was more focused on adulthood stressors like work and how they relate to how much tolerance I have for stress in games.

 

[kingfey]

24 here. I get sleepy when I play for more than 3 hour. Also headache. If its demanding action game, my mind will get tired.

The only games I can handle are exploration. With relaxing games, i get lost with it. I played ff7 for 1 and half hour. I lost time with it. While games like god of war, red dead 2, gtav, 2-3 hour is enough.

 

[faraany3k]

I am 32 yo. I just finished Bayonetta 2. I was playing on 55 inch TV and 75 percent I was not sure what I was looking at.

 

[RaySoft]

47 here...I think? I don't even count anymore. I'm about the same as I was 20 years ago. I don't have any weird pains in my body and I try to exercise at least a couple times a week. My advice is to definitely keep the weight off because it will make you feel 10 years older.

My gaming tastes have changed a lot though....now I hate competitive multiplayer and just focus on single player games. I used to be a huge Quake TF addict and then an MMO junkie. Now I would never touch anything like that. Even with kids I still manage to play quite a bit at night when they go to bed, but not every day. I think my reaction time is still half decent but I just play games to relax and get immersed into something. I'm afraid to start Persona 5 though - it would take me 3 months to finish it.

The best thing is that now I can buy all the toys that I want. Just nabbed a new console because why not.

So true! That weight gets even harder to get rid off as times goes by as well..

 

[Doczu]

30+ here, i can feel my reactions are getting a bit slower, but i'm still better than your average younger gamer. But i can't compete with Monster fueled gamers with crack level reactions. But i don't need to anymore.

What i start lacking in the reflexes i'm making up with strategic thinking. I'm better than ever with any turn based/real time strategy, sim games, tycoons etc. I'm wrecking people left and right in these games.

No more sitting in weird positions during gsming sessions, i can't play my handhelds while lying on my bed (no joke). Hands have to be lower thsn heart level to not get cramps. This is weird as fuck, but

 

[BobbyColtrane]

I had been thinking about making a thread about a similar thing OP. Mine was more focused on adulthood stressors like work and how they relate to how much tolerance I have for stress in games.

Let's hear it - "threadjack" away dude!

I am too old to bitch about you "taking over my thread" haha.

 

[Beechos]

Im 40 and my biggest problem were once loading screens. On more than one occasion ive fallen asleep waiting for a game to load. Heres looking at you gta v, rdr 2, witcher 3 lol. My 2nd would be some of the complexity in control scheme, game mechanics, and size of some of these games. At my age working full time with a kid, i at times can take a long break from playing a game and when i start again nothing clicks and either i abandon the game or start all over again. Nowadays i try to stick to baseball and basketball games where i can play a game here and there. Single player story games that can i beat in about 10hrs like last of us, god of war, resident evil. If the game is open world i dont do any side quests.

 

[The Pleasure]

I don't have the patience to play likeni once did. I'm mainly a social gamer now. I have to have people around me and do local multiplayer rather than online.

 

[RaySoft]

I've always had 20/20 vision during my lifetime. All my family members needed glasses but I didn't. Now at the age of 45 I need reading glasses to even get a focus on the damn text.
That started around the age of 43. Some info here for those interested in what's comming... The muscles around the eye "blob" gets weaker, so they can't auto focus as good as they used to do. That's the first and (knock on wood) only age related stuff I've experienced so far, but the rest is probaly just a block away:-( The point is that even though you are 40, you still feel like (a smarter) 20yo mentally, it's just your vessel that can't keep up. So to all you younger "kids" out there, make sure you exercise on a regular basis so you are better suited for the things to come.

Adult Vision: 41 to 60 Years of Age

Your eyes and vision change over time and many adults over 40 may start to have problems seeing clearly at close distances. Learn about age-related vision changes and signs of eye health problems.

www.aoa.org

 

[Airbus Jr]

Im 40 and my biggest problem were once loading screens. On more than one occasion ive fallen asleep waiting for a game to load.

Im sorry for being rude i but im laughing my ass off from reading this

First time i heard people falll asleep over loading screen

 

[Dr. Suchong]

For me, the biggest issue is lack of patience as I age.

I used to be able to replay a level over and over to get good when I was a kid. Now I rage quit after one death.

This so much.
It's never my fault, it's bullshit design

 

[Danjin44]

I'm 33
Nothing really changed for me other than having much more patience than when I was a kid, I'm in no hurry to finish games as fast as possible.

 

[FunkMiller]

44 here. Haven’t noticed much of a change in my gaming as I’ve aged, as I tend to favour third person games without the need for fast twitch reflexes. About the hardest stuff I play is the Souls games, and they need deliberate strategy more than fast reflexes (although Sekiro was harder due to needing those more).

Used to be pretty good at CoD during MW 1 & 2 days. Wouldn’t touch it now as reflexes have dulled.

I also used to kart as well when I was younger. Wouldn’t try that shit again now though. You slow as you get into your forties, no doubt about it.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

RSI, patience almost zero, and today I found out I have a cataract on my right eye.
My skills haven't deteriorated that much though. I'm pretty chuffed for S ranking every difficulty in sor4 and platting it. 42

 

[Dr. Suchong]

I am 32 yo. I just finished Bayonetta 2. I was playing on 55 inch TV and 75 percent I was not sure what I was looking at.

I definitely say "Where the fuck am I?!" in games a lot more now. I have no chance in Smash bros.

 

[Airbus Jr]

44 here. Haven’t noticed much of a change in my gaming as I’ve aged, as I tend to favour third person games without the need for fast twitch reflexes. About the hardest stuff I play is the Souls games, and they need deliberate strategy more than fast reflexes (although Sekiro was harder due to needing those more).

Used to be pretty good at CoD during MW 1 & 2 days. Wouldn’t touch it now as reflexes have dulled.

I also used to kart as well when I was younger. Wouldn’t try that shit again now though. You slow as you get into your forties, no doubt about it.

Daym funky youre 44 ?

My man..youre older than Jim Sterling

I thought youre teenager or young adult in the 20s

Never mind then carry on gaming

 

[Dr. Suchong]

24 here. I get sleepy when I play for more than 3 hour. Also headache. If its demanding action game, my mind will get tired.

The only games I can handle are exploration. With relaxing games, i get lost with it. I played ff7 for 1 and half hour. I lost time with it. While games like god of war, red dead 2, gtav, 2-3 hour is enough.

24? pffttt

 

[recursive]

Due to remote working during COVID my mancave turned into my work cave. Really sucks the fun out of gaming when I turn to my left and see my work setup just staring at me while I try to immerse myself.

Now that I am 40 I find I have less patience. Probably partly due to the above and having a less comfortable environment.

 

[Krafter]

48 years old now, been gaming since Space Invaders. My reflexes and reaction time are starting to go. I gave up on Demons Souls after a long series of unfortunate deaths when I realized that I was not having fun anymore.

I still game as much as ever, my insomnia has never left me, so I get 2-3 hours every night after the wife and kids go asleep. RPGs and strategy games galore to keep me occupied, and I have an insane backlog of games still unplayed. My main change is that I have realized that I don't want to be 25 years deep into a pile of shame when I'm 60, so I am limiting myself to one new game a month purchased, everything else has to come from the backlog. The only exception is when a game comes out from Firaxis, that is an instant buy. Or Monolith Soft, them too. Oh, and Intelligent systems and Yakuza games or Total War or anything Alien or Warhammer or a big RPG, especially Dragon Quest, Atlus and Square, oh and Horror games can't forget those. Ah crap.

 

[Yerd]

I don't think I have bad reaction times. But, years back I stopped playing competitive type multiplayer games which has evolved into no multiplayer at all for me. I was never the best at the fps type games so for me it's not much fun when it feels like people are cheating, whether they are or aren't, it feels like they are if you are not close to their level of skill.

Anyway the only physical problem I came across recently was playing Half-Life: Alyx. There was a situation that required me gettin on my knees. I felt horribly feeble. It was slow and laborious.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

43 here. Doing good physically. I've been fitness-focused most of my adult life, so that has probably helped. I was the type who would have to find a gym and complete my workout, even if I was on a vacation or on a weekend trip to the beach. I've chilled out a bit, but my body is doing good.

Not sure on reaction timing. I play a ton of multiplayer and seem to be about as competitive as I've always been. Playing Overwatch on console, I usually place in lower Platinum ranks. I haven't fallen off a cliff there yet.

The main thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is that I do not have endless hours to spend on games and so can't stick with any game that doesn't respect my time. I remember when I thought GTA was amazing. A real word! You can go anywhere and do anything! Now it's just annoying, especially GTA Online. I played one mission on GTA Online where a guy I was supposed to kill got away and it took me like 20 minutes to chase him across the entire map (on the freeway) and complete the mission. Ain't nobody got time for that.