How Do I Choose the Right Glasses for Gaming?
Gaming is a widely enjoyed hobby worldwide, but gamers' increased screen time can cause significant health concerns.
The American Optometric Association reports that the average screen time of gamers who use handheld devices is more than four hours, which can raise the risk of eye and vision problems, including digital eye strain, blurred vision, and dry eyes.
As such, the AOA recommends incorporating eye-friendly habits into gamers’ daily routines, such as taking frequent screen breaks and maintaining a proper distance from their electronic devices. In addition to these tips, gamers can also wear eyeglasses to protect their eyes and minimize the aforementioned vision-related symptoms. So, here are factors to consider when choosing glasses to ensure they’re suitable for gaming.
Prioritize lightweight frames
While it’s ultimately beneficial to reduce your average daily screen time, it still helps to choose glasses that provide optimal comfort regardless of how long you wear them while gaming. In this case, the retailer Glasses USA has a wide range of glasses frames, including options that can be considered gamer-friendly due to their universal fit and lightweight design and construction.
For instance, you can find the best-selling Oakley Hex Jector, which is made of Oakley’s proprietary O Matter nylon-based material to remain lighter yet still more durable than the usual plastic frames. The Ray-Ban RB5421 frames are also a viable option for gamers, as the high-quality acetate composition is designed to be hypoallergenic and comfortable for all-day wear.
Consider your prescription
When it comes to lens options, you should also get your visual acuity checked to determine whether or not you need prescription lenses. As covered in a previous post, having sharp vision is crucial to gaming ability and performance, but vision impairments can otherwise hinder your overall experience.
For example, having a -3.5 vision indicates nearsightedness, which then prevents you from clearly seeing distant terrains, facial emotions, microexpressions, and other details like minimaps and red dots for aiming.
The post thus highlights using single-vision gaming lenses that match your prescription to properly compensate for the refractive error and ensure you can play any video game, whether it’s an MMORPG like Final Fantasy XIV or a 2D indie game like Stardew Valley.
Get protective lens coatings
Lastly, whether or not you need prescription glasses for single-vision, bifocals, multifocal, or progressive lenses, you still have the option to optimize your gaming glasses through protective lens coatings.
Since the key contributor to digital eye strain is the blue light emitted by digital displays, gamers are recommended to wear glasses with blue light protection to minimize the side effects of this short-wavelength, high-energy visible light.
Zenni Optical has specifically developed the Blokz+ Tints lenses for anyone who spends prolonged hours in front of the screen, such as gamers, through 26x more blue light filtration than standard lenses. By blocking up to 92% of blue light energy. Blokz+ Tints enhances visual contrast, comfort, and relief from eye dry eyes and eye strain.
Other lens coatings to consider include anti-glare or anti-reflection coating, which also reduces the amount of reflective light for more comfortable electronic use.
In addition to wearing gaming glasses, experts also recommend paying attention to your gaming setup and ensuring it contributes to visual comfort. This can start with tinkering with your graphics and display settings, as well as sitting in a proper posture to maintain the optimal viewing distance from your device’s screen.
Over time, you can also invest in ergonomic gaming gear, such as an adjustable chair and an eye-safe monitor, to truly protect your vision in the long term.
