At a previous job, the topic of the neurological and psychological effects of video gaming came up often (I used to work at Scientific American magazine, and there was a feature story about gaming in Scientific American MIND).
There are currently many studies out about how gaming effects sleep patterns, child and teen behavior and more. The general consensus is that the desensitizing effects of video games can have a negative impact on young children. However, for the purpose of this story I want to focus on one specific measurement: heart rate.
Many major gaming consoles have expanded their offerings past basic shoot em' ups and sports games to offer products with an active element. The Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect have featured video games that encourage physical activity and interaction.
Virtual reality gaming brings this interaction to a whole new level by completely immersing a gamer into a computer-generated world. Sony recently released Playstation VR, a new console add-on that claims to bring next-gen gaming to virtual reality.
What I'd like to see is a test using a heart-rate sensor (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12650) that measures heart-rate for regular console or computer gaming vs. active non-VR gaming (Wii, others) vs. virtual-reality gaming on a headset like the Playstation VR or Oculus. In particular, I'd like to see how an action, horror or particularly violent video game effects heart rate across each of the platforms. This kind of study would not only measure the amount of physical exertion and stress put onto a gamer's heart rate, but can also make general conclusions regarding the psychologic effects of these types of gaming.
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