PLAYING video games is associated with small but consistent improvements in cognitive ability, a large meta-analysis of 133 studies concludes, with gains spanning memory, attention, and reasoning, that held regardless of age, sex, or the type of game played.
Inconsistent Evidence on Gaming
As video games have become more popular, research into their effect on cognitive ability has piled up, but with conflicting results. Some studies report sharpened thinking, others find little. This review set out to pool the scattered evidence and investigate whether video games meaningfully relate to cognitive performance across the literature.
Pooling Three Study Designs
The systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised 133 studies published between January 2005 and August 2025, yielding 269 effect sizes from 14,245 participants. Studies were grouped into three designs: 17 correlational studies (20 effect sizes; 6,263 participants), 94 between-group comparisons (173 effect sizes; 6,970 participants), and 22 controlled trials (76 effect sizes; 1,012 participants), the last offering the strongest causal evidence. Study quality was rated on the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, with most judged medium (69.93%), some high (25.56%), and few low (4.51%). Random effects models estimated the overall association, and moderator analyses tested whether factors like age or game type altered it.
Small Gains Across Cognitive Domains
All three designs showed statistically significant, albeit generally weak, positive associations between video game play and cognitive ability. Correlational studies gave an overall effect of r=0.162 and between-group comparisons r=0.22, the latter spanning memory, spatial ability, visual attention, cognitive control, and intelligence. Controlled trials, the most rigorous design, confirmed a small but significant benefit (r=0.088). After stringent Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, almost no moderators mattered: participant sex, age group, cultural context, health condition, intervention duration, and game type all failed to significantly influence the results, suggesting the effect was broadly consistent.
Games as a Cognitive Training Tool
The authors concluded that video game play is modestly but reliably linked to better cognitive ability, and that the effect appears robust across populations and game types. They suggested games could serve as a supportive tool for cognitive training. The small effect sizes temper enthusiasm, however, and because much of the evidence is correlational, they cautioned that games are a potential aid rather than a proven treatment, with further controlled trials needed.
Reference
Zhao R et al. The association between video game play and cognitive ability: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychologica. 2026;267:107110.
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