Technology

Video Games and Gamers’ Wrists: What You Need to Know

Video game concept 

Playing video games is not a new concept. A Physicist, William Higginbotham, first introduced the video game concept in 1958. It was a simple tennis game. After this, many innovations were brought to video games, making them more interesting among users. Today, with the emergence of technology, the concept of gaming has reached the next level. According to a 2021 report, the number of video game users or gamers is almost 2.8 billion. The number of users is significantly increasing each. For example, the number of video game users was calculated to be 2.77 billion in 2020. 

Today, video games are developed in different categories according to the users’ interests and demands—for example, actions games (including fighting, first-person shooting, and survival game), idle games, royal games, simulation games, strategy games, and sports-related games. 

Innovations in gaming industry trends 

The way of developing and visualizing video games has drastically been innovated, and further innovations are on the way. Below is the detail of the gaming industry trends that how they are driving innovations: 

  1. Streaming or cloud gaming 

Today, to have an amazing experience of gaming, you need to arrange a smartphone. Well, your investment is not limited to a smartphone. You also need a faster Wi-Fi or internet service, more reliable mobile networks, larger storage capacities for your devices and more. Internet and advancement in gaming have made it possible for people to interact with other users anywhere in the world. However, the games are still running locally on the users’ devices. As time passes, it impacts your device’s performance, and you cannot get the same experience as you did before. The concept of streaming or cloud gaming has solved this problem. The system allows users to play games from their devices; however, the game actually lives somewhere else, such as in other data centres. 

  1. Digital Distribution 

Digital distribution is another amazing advancement in gaming, allowing companies to deliver nonstop messages to gamers or users, introducing new features consistently, giving more updates, and new gaming ideas.  

  1. New business models 

It is a step forward to making gaming more exciting and encouraging more and more people to play their favourite games without restrictions. Business models allow the industry to provide users with free-to-play and gaming as a service (GaaS) concepts. The free-to-play model allows users to play games without initial charges. On the other hand, GaaS is primarily a subscription-based and on-demand streaming service that enables users to play games on the video game publishers’ hosting servers. 

  1. Increased diversity 

As the number of users or gamers increases, the market for video games continues to become more diverse. Idea of this fact we can take from the idea that users with even lower income can participate without purchasing high-end consoles or PCs, as reported by Deloitte Insights report.   

  1. Mobile gaming 

Mobile or smartphone has become the go-to platform for consumers or users looking for new ways of entertainment. A report has shown that mobile is the largest driver of growth in the video game industry. According to a Deconstructing Mobile & Tablet Gaming report, the Canadian and US mobile game user’s population has increased by 12% since 2019.

Injuries from video gaming 

A recent report revealed by AAP addressed that a total of 696 video game-related injuries were reported over the period of 5-year. It has been shown that injuries result from the overuse of hands. The most common video game-related injury is a gamer’s wrist. 

What is a gamer’s wrist?

Gamer’s wrist, also known as gamer’s thumb or de Quervain’s syndrome, is a condition that occurs due to the inflammation of the tendons in the wrists and hands. The condition usually results in pain, swelling, warmth, redness, soreness, aching, and tenderness. 

How to prevent wrist pain when playing video games?

The following are the most effective ways, suggested by experts, to avoid the chances of wrist injuries when playing video games. 

  1. Wear wrist braces 

Experts suggest wearing the best wrist braces, avoiding the chances of wrist pain and other symptoms resulting from a gamers wrist. You can buy the best wrist braces from 360 Relief, Amazon and other platforms. Wearing wrist braces also help speed up the recovery following a wrist injury. As well as this, healthcare providers also suggest wearing wrist braces following wrist surgery to help promote healing.

  1. Take frequent breaks 

Of course, nobody wants to leave the games for a single moment during their gaming session. But remember that keeping your wrist and hands safe is necessary, ensuring a wonderful gaming experience. Take 5 minutes of break after every 60-minute session.  

  1. Do stretches exercises

Gamers often go through over-gripping of mouse and jam the keys intensely while using other gaming devices. It can significantly impact your hands and wrists, causing pain and other discomforts. Regular stretching exercises keep your hands or wrist joints active and flexible, helping restore your strength and range of motion.  

  1. Posture and device placement 

Changing your posture and your device’s placement impact tendons and muscles fatigue hugely. For maintaining a good posture, sit with your flat feet on the ground, and your knees should be at an even 90-degree angle. Keep your back lean or slightly straight. If posture is a major problem, you should look for posture correctors – for example, cushions or pillows for lumbar support. Additionally, core and back strengthening exercises help better support sitting long hours on the chair. However, you should consult your healthcare provider or gaming experts if you have other concerns regarding posture and device placement. 

  1. Listen to your body 

Experts forcefully suggest listening to your body while playing games. Whenever you feel pain, it means your body needs rest. Proper rest restores your body’s overall stamina, helping you gain potential gameplay strength. 

Conclusion 

Day after day, the video gaming industry is getting flourished, and advanced features are coming to experience in video games. These latest trends of features are inspiring more people to play games. But beware of the fact that the increased time on the gameplay can cause pain and discomfort. However, wearing wrist support braces helps you manage pain and other discomforts during gameplay.

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