And we’re not just saying this: there’s science behind it
Do you feel guilty about all those late nights spent shooting virtual bad guys in the face or racing against overpowered AI opponents in racing games? If you are, then from now on if anybody judges you for it, you’ll have this argument ready for them.
So apparently games in general, and action and/or racing games in particular, have a positive effect on a person’s visuomotor coordination and control. A recent scientific study in the field of psychology found that people trained in virtual gaming environments not only have better coordination, but are also better at maintaining their lane and have quicker reaction times.
The study concluded that driving games in particular are indeed valuable training tools whose improvements can be quantified. It reports that even playing 5 to 10 hours of a driving game will “significantly improve” a non-gamer’s visuomotor coordination.
This is definitely good to know as there are some excellent racing titles being launched this year and the next, as well as the slew of great ones that are already available. So from now on, non-gamers, your arguments are futile. And yes, playing driving games really does make you a better driver, a point many avid gamers already felt but could never prove.