Video games are often associated with younger generations, but gaming has become increasingly popular among older adults. More importantly, research suggests that video games can offer benefits that go beyond entertainment.
Depending on the type of game and how it is played, gaming may support cognitive function, encourage social connection, improve emotional well-being, and even provide opportunities to stay physically active. For older adults looking for enjoyable ways to remain engaged and mentally stimulated, picking up a controller, tablet, or smartphone may be worth considering.
How Video Games Can Keep the Mind Active
Just as physical activity challenges the body, mentally engaging activities can give the brain a workout. Video games often require players to concentrate, remember information, react quickly, solve problems, and adapt to changing situations.
Different types of games exercise different skills. Strategy and puzzle games may require planning and problem-solving, while adventure games can challenge memory and spatial awareness. Other games ask players to manage several objectives at once, engaging skills related to attention, task switching, and decision-making.
Research has explored whether these challenges can translate into measurable cognitive benefits for older adults.
The most compelling evidence to date comes from a study of nearly half a million adults. Researchers tracked 471,346 UK Biobank participants who were free of dementia at the start, following them for a median of 13.7 years and recording 7,898 dementia diagnoses. Adults who reported playing computer games often had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia than those who never or rarely played, and they also performed better on tests of prospective memory, reaction time, fluid intelligence, and numeric memory. Brain imaging showed something similar: frequent players had greater gray matter volume in the hippocampus, the region tied to memory formation and Alzheimer’s progression. The association remained significant after education, physical activity, sleep, loneliness, depressive symptoms, family history of dementia, and APOE ε4 status, and a genetic analysis suggested the relationship may be causal rather than coincidental.
Additional research supported by the National Institute on Aging examined adults ages 60 to 80 who spent 30 to 45 minutes each day exploring new virtual environments. After four weeks, participants demonstrated improvements in hippocampal-based memory, with greater improvements among those who played a game featuring a three-dimensional environment compared with a two-dimensional game. Some of those memory improvements remained even after participants stopped playing every day.
While video games are not a substitute for medical care or other healthy lifestyle habits, findings like these suggest that gaming can be one way for older adults to challenge their minds and learn new skills.
Gaming Can Create Opportunities for Social Connection
The benefits of gaming are not limited to cognitive skills; video games can also be an engaging social activity.
Multiplayer games allow people to work together, compete, solve challenges, or simply spend time with one another. For older adults, gaming can offer another way to connect with friends and family members (including loved ones who live far away).
The social benefits can extend beyond playing together. Much like books, movies, sports, or other hobbies, games give people something to discuss and share. Talking about a favorite game, comparing strategies, helping someone learn how to play, or discussing a game’s story can all provide opportunities for connection.
Who you play with appears to matter more than how often you play. In its 2025 National Health and Well-Being Index survey of more than 5,000 U.S. adults, Gallup found that people who regularly play video games in person with friends or family were the most likely to be thriving, at 51%, compared with 47% of those who played online with loved ones, 47% who played alone, and 43% who played online with strangers.
This does not mean that playing a video game will prevent loneliness or depression. However, it does reinforce the idea that enjoyable, engaging hobbies can play a valuable role in an older adult’s social and emotional life.
Video Games May Support Mood and Emotional Well-Being
Whether someone is solving a puzzle, completing a level, building a virtual world, or competing in a friendly match, games can provide achievable goals and a sense of accomplishment. Those experiences may help boost confidence, promote relaxation, and provide a pleasant break from everyday stress.
The Entertainment Software Association’s Power of Play: 2025 Global Video Games Report, which surveyed more than 24,000 people across 21 countries, have found that many players associate gaming with emotional benefits. Among respondents, 80 percent said playing video games helped them feel less stressed, 70 percent reported feeling less anxious, and 64 percent said gaming helped them feel less isolated or lonely.
For older adults, the key may be finding games that match personal interests and abilities. Someone who enjoys word games may only prefer puzzles, while another person may enjoy sports, cards, strategy, music, or adventure games. There is no single type of game that is right for everyone.
Video Games Are Not Just for Younger Generations
According to the Entertainment Software Association’s 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Games Industry Report, adults age 50 and older represent a significant portion of the video game-playing population in the United States. AARP research has also found that nearly half of adults age 50 and older play video games every day.
Technology has made gaming more accessible as well. Playing no longer requires a dedicated gaming console or complicated equipment. Many games are available on tablets and smartphones, including familiar options such as card games, word puzzles, trivia, matching games, and digital versions of classic board games.
For someone who has never played video games before, starting with a familiar type of game can make the experience feel more approachable.
Finding a Healthy Balance
As with many hobbies, moderation matters. Video games are best enjoyed as part of a balanced routine that includes physical activity, social interaction, nutritious meals, adequate sleep, and other meaningful activities.
Older adults should also choose games and devices that are comfortable and appropriate for their individual abilities. Larger screens, simplified controls, adjustable volume, and accessibility settings can make gaming easier for people with vision, hearing, or mobility limitations.
It is also important to pay attention to how much time is spent sitting. Taking regular breaks to stand, stretch, walk, or participate in other activities can help make gaming part of a healthier daily routine.
Staying Engaged is an Important Part of Healthy Aging
Healthy aging involves more than managing medical needs. Staying mentally active, maintaining social connections, pursuing hobbies, and finding enjoyable ways to spend time can all contribute to quality of life.
Video games are just one of many ways older adults can stay curious, connected, and engaged. Whether it is completing a favorite puzzle on a tablet, enjoying a virtual adventure, or sharing a game with friends or family, a little time spent gaming can offer more benefits than many people expect.
At Broward PACE Program, participants receive personalized healthcare and social support designed around their individual needs and goals. The program’s Adult Day Health Center provides opportunities for individual and group activities, socialization, meals, healthcare, rehabilitation, and other services, all coordinated by a personalized care team.
