Researchers at the University of Rochester say that action game players react to fast-moving objects more efficiently and can track 30% more objects than non-gamers.

Video and computer games, it seems, can actually help players train their visual attention. Nature’s tests on non-gamers found that playing just ten hours of these fast-paced games improved the non-gamer’s vision. This leads to speculation that such games could be beneficial to impaired stroke victims and/or those rehabilitating from cataract surgery.

One German neurobiologist quoted in Nature hints that the nerve cells may shift shape from playing these games and this helps the nerve cells communicate more effectively with each other.

Only the shoot-em up games helped improve vision. The more sedate games like Chess, Scrabble, and Tetris, even when played electronically made no visual improvements.