Video games are more popular than ever! A whopping 61% of the U.S. population plays at least an hour of video games a week. More than 190 million people, from ages five to 90, admit to being gamers.
With numbers that big, the eyewear industry is bound to take notice! Gamers have become an eyewear demographic of their own, and gaming glasses are starting to take off.
But do gaming glasses actually work? Or are they just another overhyped eyewear product that you don’t really need? Let’s get into it and find out!
If you’re thinking about VR headsets or smart glasses, nope… those aren’t the gaming glasses referred to here.
Gaming glasses look like typical eyeglasses, except that they have specialized lenses. The lenses are said to reduce eye strain and any discomfort associated with hours of playing in front of digital screens. They’re like blue light glasses but customized for the gamer’s needs.
Gaming glasses come in a wide range of prices. For example, Gunnar, one of the big gaming glasses manufacturers, sells glasses ranging in price from around $40 to $250.
How Do Gaming Glasses Work?
Man in Glasses and Helmet Playing a Video Game
Gaming glasses protect your eyes in a few different ways. This includes:
Blue light filtration: Extended exposure to blue light is said to be harmful. Blue light is emitted by digital devices, such as phones, TVs, and computers, as well as light bulbs and the sun. The harm from blue light multiplies if the exposure is close range, as with gamers. It can disrupt your natural sleeping pattern and cause eye strain.
Reduced glare: Many gaming glasses come with anti-glare coating. This is designed to block off glare from screens, which can cause visual discomfort and fatigue. Without the glare, you can potentially play and stare at your screens longer.
Enhanced focus: Because gaming glasses are said to make your eyes feel better even with extended screen exposure, you can then focus more on gaming.
Evidence and User Experiences
Gaming glasses look cool. They make you feel like you’ve just purchased the secret weapon that will make you win your next playthrough.
Of course, that’s not evidence. That’s marketing. When it comes to the science that backs up these claims, things become a little sketchy.
The report found little evidence to support the claim that blue light filtering can reduce digital eye strain. When it comes to disrupted sleep patterns from blue light (and, relatedly, too much gaming), there is also little evidence that blue light filtering helps. The general adult population still suffers from poor sleep quality.
Blue light glasses might benefit some people, though, and particularly those with extra light sensitivity. It all depends on the person. Some people experience positive effects from using these glasses, and others don’t.
What Gamers Think
I went onto Reddit to see what gamers thought of gaming glasses. And I learned that the Redditors aren’t exactly buying what’s being sold to them.
One Redditor said that pretty much any benefit that you think you get from these glasses is from a placebo effect. They wrote:
“It’s pretty much just a placebo effect
What you want to do is get an equal light level around your monitor. This can be done with a desk lamp pointed behind your monitor or a cleaner setup is light bars behind the monitor.
The eye strain is caused by having varying light levels in your line of site, so just make it about all the same level but still not too bright
And lastly all of our eyes are different. I can look at monitors 24/7 and be fine, some people can only handle a few hours no matter how hard they try.”
Another Redditor just advised getting blue light glasses instead:
“Just buy the one with blue light.”
Another Redditor suggested using eye drops to help with eye strain:
“Eyedrops will Help you more than some glasses. Use eyedrops twice a day and your eyes should feel better. While looking at Screens we almost always stop blinking enough and therefore get dry eyes.”
However, there were some people who were skeptics going in, but they said they experienced benefits from gaming glasses. One Redditor wrote:
“For what it’s worth, I used to think these were gimmicky as shit. One day I got bored and decided to try them anyway, I figured 40 bucks what the hell. I can say without a doubt my headaches went from basically every day to once in awhile, and I’ve been wearing them since. I don’t regret them at all. Be aware, they also have very slight magnification
EDIT: I work as a software engineer, and go to grad school, and game when I can so I’m looking at screens most of the day”
Alternatives to Gaming Glasses
If you’re a gamer who’s struggling with eye strain and other symptoms, don’t worry, I’ve got you!
Feel free to try out gaming glasses if you have the budget. However, consider trying these alternatives first:
The 20-20-20 Rule
This trick is all over the internet and applies to everyone whose job and pastime involve screens. The 20-20-20 rule is simple. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break from staring at your screen. Instead, look 20 feet ahead. That should be enough to give your eyes a needed break!
Proper Screen Settings
You can use custom settings that come with your phone and computer monitors to reduce the harmful effects of blue light. Modern phones and computers allow you to set blue light filtering for digital screens. Alternatively, you can just adjust the contrast and brightness to reduce glare and lessen the strain on your eyes.
Artificial Tears
As one of our Redditors said, you can also use eye drops to reduce the dryness that comes with too much screen time.
Customized Lenses for Gaming
If you are thinking about trying out eyewear for your gaming habits, know that you can fashion your own instead of buying the typically more expensive gaming glasses sold on the market.
For example, at EZContacts, you can choose practically any eyeglass frame and just customize the lenses.
If you need prescription lenses, upgrade the lenses so you also get Blue Light Blocking.
Anti-Reflective Coating Option on EzContacts
You can also get non-prescription lenses and specify Blue Light lenses.
Blue Light Blocking Option on EzContacts
Better yet, why not try the Eyezen+ Anti-Fatigue lenses? These lenses are designed to reduce eye fatigue and strain from digital screens.
The advantage of creating your own custom gaming eyewear is that you can get a pair with frames that you like and that look good on you. Plus, they might end up being a little bit cheaper.
The point of all this is to give you different choices. Gaming glasses are an option if you have the budget to try them out.
However, remember that there are other actions that you can try if you’re an avid gamer experiencing eye strain and discomfort. It pays to give them a shot before putting in the money for gaming glasses.
TL;DR
There are millions of gamers in the U.S. who play at least one hour a week. Gaming glasses are targeting this demographic.
Gaming glasses are eyeglasses designed to reduce the strain and discomfort that come from too much digital screen exposure. They are similar to blue light glasses.
These glasses claim to filter for blue light, reduce glare, and improve your focus.
There is little evidence to support their claims. However, people sensitive to light might benefit from gaming glasses’ blue light filtering.
There are alternatives to gaming glasses that you can try, such as the 20-20-20 strategy, artificial tears, and customizing your screen settings.
You can also try to order customized eyewear from shops like EZContacts that filter for blue light and reduce glare.
My life rotates through five lenses: distance and reading glasses, sunglasses, contacts, and my diving mask's lenses. If I'm not writing, I'm in the kitchen, gym, or under the sea.
