Whenever you have a long gaming session, you’re likely to end up with your eyes feeling dry, sore or fuzzy.
Gaming gives us those symptoms thanks to the bright screens, intense focus, fewer blinks and usually our lighting.
With a couple quick tweaks (and one habit you’ll probably roll your eyes at), you can keep your eyes feeling fresh without ruining your setup or your vibe.
What Eye Strain Looks Like And Why Gaming Triggers It
When you game, you’ve likely experienced the dry, tired eyes, headaches and maybe even blurred vision, and it’s all down to eye strain.
You might notice your eyes feeling burning or gritty, or your eyes feel like they need a moment to refocus, when looking away from your screen.
I know, for me, I generally notice them when I look away from my screen, and become more noticeable once I’ve shut my device down.
When we’re gaming, we find ourselves leaning in closer to the screen during more intense moments, reducing the viewing distance, and making eye muscles work harder. We also blink less when concentrating, and the lack of blinking causes dryness and irritation over time.
Start With Your Room Lighting Before You Touch Any Settings
When the screen is too bright, eye strain is more likely, or when overheard lighting creates glare on the screen.
So, you need to ensure your room is evenly lit, so your eyes are not constantly adjusting between a bright display, and a darker background.
If you have a lamp or ceiling light reflecting on the screen, move it, so the light falls to the side of your gaming set-up, or behind your monitor, to reduce the chance of glare.
Choose warm to neutral bulbs, usually in the 2700K to 4000K range, as they’re less harsh during long sessions than cooler white lighting from daylight bulbs.
Many gamers opt for LED strip lighting, for a softer lighting effect, which is easier on the eyes.
Turn On Blue Light Filters And Know When They Actually Help
At normal screen levels, blue light is not considered harmful to your eyes, but blue light can interfere with your sleep by suppressing melatonin and making it harder to feel tired.
Devices sometimes offer a “night shift” feature, to shift the colors of your display to warmer tones “after dark” to help you wind down before trying to sleep, or you can try blue light glasses.
Most consoles, monitors and gaming devices include a built-in blue light. If you use one, adjust it gradually, so the screen looks warmer without becoming so orange that it affects gameplay or makes text uncomfortable to read.
Match Your Screen Brightness To The Room You Are In
When the screen is much brighter than the room, your eyes have to keep adjusting. This when you get the achey and tired eyes feeling, but if your room isn’t well-lit, you can end up squinting, causing more issues.
Adjust brightness from your normal playing position, and lower it until white areas look comfortable rather than glaring, while still keeping the image clear.
Fine-tune contrast so text and interface elements remain easy to read and darker scenes still hold detail, instead of becoming a muddy block of grey or an overly dark silhouette.
It also helps to revisit brightness as your surroundings change. If you tend to play into the evening, reduce it as the room gets darker, and increase it slightly if you switch on extra lighting.
The aim is a display that feels balanced with the room rather than dominating it, which usually makes long sessions easier on your eyes.