HT Games
Activity
The most obvious physical benefit of video games comes from systems that allow users to control the on-screen action through movement rather than by pushing controller buttons. For example, Microsoft's Xbox Kinect system uses motion capture to determine user actions, while the Nintendo Wii and the newer Wii U use motion sensors built in to the systems' controllers. These platforms have had fitness-based games and workout programs designed for them, such as Wii Fit and Wii Fit U, as well as other, lesser-known games for the systems. As one example of how these games can benefit players, one study from England's University of Chester showed that playing a boxing game on the Kinect increased children's energy expenditure by 263 percent.
Coordination
Video games may also have a beneficial effect on the motor skills of players, improving their coordination and decreasing their reaction times. This can have large real-world benefits, with a study from Iowa State University indicating that laparoscopic surgeons who played games for at least three hours per week were 25 percent faster and made 37 percent fewer errors that those who did not. Of these, the surgeons with the highest levels of video gaming skills were found to be the fastest and most accurate of all.
Vision
Despite the common supposition that too much video game use is bad for the eyes, a study from Canada's McMaster University showed that gaming can have a positive effect on eye conditions such as amblyopia, which is a misalignment of the eye that makes it difficult for both eyes to focus on the same point at the same time. In the study, subjects with pre-existing eye conditions played a first-person shooting game for a total of 40 hours. Afterwards, all showed improvement in their vision.
Heart
There is a strong link between gaming and heart health. The University of Western Australia compared low-intensity and high-intensity active gaming to a treadmill session and found high-intensity gaming to be comparable to a moderate exercise session in terms of cardiovascular benefit. In addition, a study published in the 2009 Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine found gaming to reduce stress levels, with stress being a known cause of heart complaints.