Question for older gamers.

Nah, I'm in my 30s and gotten better at games overall. There were games I couldn't beat as a child and teenager on harder settings but managed to as an adult, plus I play most games on harder settings anyways. Not to mention I still play online shooters and can do pretty well in them(which is funny since I don't play online shooters as much as I did in Gen 7).

I'm 43 and I feel like I am better at aiming with a KB/Mouse now than I ever was in my younger years but at the cost of a lot more practice. Overwatch was the first game that made me really want to get better at a competitive FPS and I've worked really hard to be able to hit head shots with McRee and sleep darts with Ana. I'm nowhere near Pro level but at this point I can also get into most any game and not embarrass myself either. If you want to take a good look at your reaction time look no further than The Human Benchmark and their reaction time test. https://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime/

Anywhere around 200ms is like in the 95th percentile of speed and my last test was an average of 204ms. I'm no slowpoke, at least not yet.

50, stopped playing competitive multiplayer. With Pong at my brothers place (who is 10 years older) I was really good back in the days.

I'm 32 and in denial that my skills have declined. But they honestly have. Mostly notice it when playing tougher platformers with my son. Still beat anyone in halo tho.

It's weird, but my reflexes seem to have gotten BETTER since I was a kid. I beat games I used to struggle with (mega man specifically) like it's nothing now. Castlevania games also. In real life, I can also skateboard and play basketball better now than when I was in my youth. I am 34.

Edit: I never took a break from these older type games either though. I still play older games primarily over new ones. Maybe that's it but who knows.

I'm 40 and regularly place top in my COD games and have over 20 wins solo Fortnite over 20 duos Fortnite and some squads. Also just got back into Destiny 2 crucible after dropping the game after demo and I'm scoring as good or better than my son who is 11 and is level 20. Idk I generally am the same reflex and gaming wise as my teen years. My aging has not noticeably affected me.

At 45, some of my reaction time has taken a noticeable hit. I can't play bullet hell shooters anywhere near as well as I could twenty years ago. This doesn't mean my multiplayer performance has taken much of a hit, though. I have good and bad days. No idea how my fighting game skills have aged, though. No one will play with me.

Like most of the other older guys, I just don't care about it anymore. I have fun and that's good enough for me. If I actually suck, it doesn't matter.

Hardvlade said:

I'm in my 30's and still kicking ass. (Halo, Titanfall, Overwatch, Destiny). I do play competitively a lot, so I've kept up with my skills. One day they'll be gone, so I'll enjoy it as much as I can until then haha

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I actually did very well in these games as well, though I didn't really get into Destiny's multiplayer since I stopped playing the game after playing it's campaign.

GlamFM said:

Yes. Though I'm not sure if it's physical or if I simply don't care as much anymore.

I play sp games on easy these days.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

This is me

I'm 39, started playing games when I was like 6 or something.
I don't FEEL like my abilities have waned, but they probably have. I have less patience for bullshit though, I know that much.

I used to think I was good at fighting games until online became a thing, lol.
On the other hand, I'm doing great at DBFZ, better than anything else I've ever played online, so I dunno.

EDIT: I prefer single player games, which I tend to play on Normal.
If I like the game enough and feel I can handle higher difficulties, I'll play through again on Hard.
Sometimes I'll start on Hard if the Trophy set only rewards you for playing on Hard or higher.

43.
Been gaming since I am 5.
I do not notice a decline in things overall.
What I do notice is I am not as competitive in MP games as I no longer have the time to dedicate to them as I once did. I think that is a way bigger factor than if my reflexes may have declined a bit, which again to retirate I do not really feel like they have, even if the truth is they have in fact declined some.
To me it is more about knowing a map like the back of your hand, knowing choke points, knowing the intricacies of gameplay, etc. etc. etc. At least for myself, I learned all of the above dedicating time towards a game.
So I am no longer as knowledgeable of all of those things that give you an edge in MP as I just do not play games as much as I once did.
So that is no doubt noticeable I would say.
It is one of the primary reasons I do not even really bother with MP myself anymore.
I personally think my reflexes are more or less the same as they always have.
The only thing I can say is I have always had great vision. Never needed glasses, etc.
Very recently I have started having small hints that my vision is not what it once was.
So I find myself sometimes squinting or really focusing when I never did even just a year or two ago.
That is about it though. I feel like I still play games as I always have.
If anything I probably play games better now than I did when I first started. I have had over 35 years of practice.

I'm 33. So far, when I've revisited older more difficult games, I can usually manage better than when I was a kid.

I'm 37. (Insert Clerks joke here) I've been gaming since 4 with the Sega Master System.

My reflexes aren't as razor sharp as they used to be in FPS (I'm not as competitive as I was even 10 years ago on Modern Warfare, much less almost 20 years ago on Quake 3 Arena) and I really don't give a flying fuck, to be honest.

Destiny is the last multiplayer series I got into heavy (I mean Overwatch, but I rarely play it) and I don't think I'm going to go further than that.

Except Tetris.

Oh, I'm still great at Tetris. My skills will never fade in Tetris.

Ever.

SillyEskimo said:

I am 43 and yes, there is a decline. The good news is that at age 43 I don't give a fucking shit.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I genuinely LOLed here! Bravo sir...

And yep. A month shy of 41, I don't really care much anymore. I hardly play online nowadays, because I stopped putting in the effort to 'get gud' competitively long ago.

Two things.

1 - Studies show that the age for peak performance for Olympic athletes is generally in the late 20s. Chances are nobody in this thread is at an Olympic level of performance and so if you put in more effort into getting good at a game at a later age, you most likely would be drastically more skilled at the game than you would have when you were in your late 20s without any such effort.

2 - Gamers as a general demographic are notorious for having unhealthy habits (junk food, energy drinks, alchohol, late nights, etc.) which will cause your overall health to deteriorate at an accelerated rate which will have an effect on your performance in games.

EteRnal PAL said:

When it comes to single player games, I like to play on Hard difficulty. Cuphead wasn't hard for me at all, unlocked all achievements without breaking a sweat.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yep, same here for hard modes. Also I still need to get Cuphead!

Been playing for 30 years and my reflexes actually improved. Im much better now at action games, doing dodges and parries on time than i ever before. I never played much multiplayer shooters so my skill is basicly the same as it was 15 years ago.

When i was a teen most games i played was point and click adventures and strategy games, some RPGs too, but nothing that pushed my reaction times to the limit. Now im playing more action games like souls type games, and other action adventures games. When i enjoy some games i go for the trophies and thanks to that i replay many of the games in the hardest dificulty. Thing that i never did in my younger age.

The only reason i dont care about online games is because i dont have close friends to play with me, and i dont have patience to deal with randoms. Only game i had a good experience with random ppl was in Monster Hunter World. But once in a while, when a single player game i like also has multiplayer i try it and im usually good at it. Uncharted 4 multiplayer must be the last PVP game i dedicated some time. Will be playing RDR Online as well.

It's a mix of skills decreasing and not caring as much.

I'm awful at competitive games. But I'm still pretty pretty pretty good at challenging single player games. ...
I beat Doom 2016 on the second to highest difficulty on my first play through. So I don't completely suck now. *Shrug*

Yes. Mainly in FPS shooters.

Interficium said:

This is physiologically impossible.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Sure, if you want to argue pedantically (and assuming you could travel back in time) I'm guessing there's some test that could show I've lost some ability. For all practical purposes, however, I'm unable to notice any meaningful difference. Even when comparing to my son I'm still able to hold my own in terms of platformers, shooters, and anything involving timing.

werezompire said:

Two things.

1 - Studies show that the age for peak performance for Olympic athletes is generally in the late 20s. Chances are nobody in this thread is at an Olympic level of performance and so if you put in more effort into getting good at a game at a later age, you most likely would be drastically more skilled at the game than you would have when you were in your late 20s without any such effort.

2 - Gamers as a general demographic are notorious for having unhealthy habits (junk food, energy drinks, alchohol, late nights, etc.) which will cause your overall health to deteriorate at an accelerated rate which will have an effect on your performance in games.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

So what you say is gaming is bad for health? Dammit I should have known earlier in my life! ;)

I've never been a competitive person, so no not really. I'm 39. I don't really remember a time when I wasn't playing video games. So as soon as I could physically play them I suppose.

I'm 39, been gaming since I was 4 and yes I feel reflexes etc. do degrade over time but not to a massive degree. I put it more down to lack of time to commit to games than a sudden physical impact on skills.

Probably, but I'm still schooling people competitively at (almost) 37 so I don't know when.

Just my take but no, I haven't noticed any decline in my abilities or reflexes at 45. If anything, playing games constantly over the years has kept my reflexes and hand/eye coordination quite fresh.

I've been playing rhythm games since Parappa the Rapper came out and I'm better at them now at 40 years old than I have ever been! I think it's all down to practice, as I can play random old arcade games that I used to be great at and be absolute shite at them. But I used to play them nonstop back in the day. My reaction times are probably slower than they COULD have been though, as playing rhythm games there are some high level tracks I just can't complete to the same kind of level that people I know who are still incredibly youthful can.

Without a time machine though, how could I possibly know! They might just get more practice in!

Of course age is a factor. I personally haven't experienced any decline yet (29).

What can affect your playing ability at any age though is not playing often. I have to play a game consistently to get up to its speed, and if I go away from it for a while, I have to build back up all over again. But if that game doesn't feel fresh any more, I move on and don't bother taking the effort to get back up to speed. Being in this situation multiple times has had the cumulative effect of moving me somewhat away from more hardcore games.

I'm 35 and haven't noticed any decline. I don't play competitive online games very frequently, however, and never have.

EDIT: I almost feel like I might be better at gaming now. It used to be I would get frustrated and quit rather easily. Now, I'm much more patient and take my time when I'm screwing up and it typically pays off.

I'm not as good at Mario as I was a child, but I've gotten better at fighting games, so who knows

I think it's basically a scientific fact that reflexes diminish over time, but from my personal experience (38 next month), I need to focus a lot more, and concentrate in a different way to have my reflexes available, if that makes sense.

Can't say it has. I also feel like I owe it all to DMC for that.

I'm 40. I'm sure my coordination is down, but honestly, I was never that good to begin with.

Of course it changes. Its matters in all sports. Don't see many late 20 gymnasts in the Olympics. most are teenagers. For me by the time I started playing video games I was done with competitive sports like football, baseball. I started cycling and other sports and hobbies that I was competing more against myself than someone else. I set the challenges. Same with video games. One of the reason I like them is because I determine my success. I am 59 years old. I think the 47 year guy got it right...I will twist it by saying that you start to see winning and losing is less important than just being doing stuff with friends. Honestly think I am having more fun now than when scores and where I placed mattered.

Oh yeah...get off my lawn.

They get worse if you let them get worse like if you play everything on easy or just play simpler games in general. In that sense it's just like any other skill, if you're not doing things at a level that works your body or mind then your skill degrades a bit. If I challenge myself even just a little bit then I find that things stay at a pretty consistent level even though I'm in my 30s now.

i'm 35 years old, and i'm beaten by teenagers on overwatch every single time

i guess my reflexes weren't as used to be

i also tend to play longer than average people when playing SoulsBorne game

playing Nioh right now, spent good 150 hours or so but still can't finish it yet, fortunately i like this genre, i may be old but i won't give up :)

SillyEskimo said:

I am 43 and yes, there is a decline. The good news is that at age 43 I don't give a fucking shit.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yep, as you get older you stop giving shits.

I've beaten a ton of NES-hard games, I don't have to prove anything to anyone anymore.

When I started gaming the internet did not exist, so as I have got older I am now better at online multiplayer games than I was when i was a teenager!

I'm in my mid 40s and don't believe my reactions have got any worse,sight has though lol..so glasses are now a must

I'm 38 - no noticable decline in anything but free time.

well i'm not as old as some of you, however I should state that at 28 I would say im twice the speed in reflexes in cod on pc than I was a decade ago it really just comes down to playing it a lot and practice. Some people can't even believe crazy fast reflexes in it and I probably get reported daily. I see a lot of pros in their mid 30's right now better than they ever were tbh.

its kinda like anything If you put less time into it will diminish. In regards to sports ye wear and tear on the body will hit you one day, but I got a friend David who plays racquetball competitively at 36 and hes slaying 19 year olds they cant even keep up with him but he basically plays daily.

I'm in my late 30s and in my experience as long as you keep playing games with twitch aiming you can keep those skills. Last night in destiny 2 gambit someone invaded and without even thinking about it I nailed him in the head with the whisper. It was just flick bam dead. So yeah I still have my reaction times. Also I do damn good in quake champions.

AGoodODST said:

I imagine it does but not dramitally. Surely the biggest factor for most of us is we have less time to play than we used to.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I'm 41 and can still hang in FPS. It's not the reflexes. It's time. I just don't have enough time to play. Family, work and sleep!

There are a lot of factors of course but I feel there's a lot more to just having fast reflexes - there's technical skill and seeing past the immediate, battle space awareness and other such instead of being tunnel vision'd into a single task.
That's how it is for me anyway, also there's a lifetime of built up skill that helps as well.

If I started gaming now for the first time at 34? It would be a double whammy.
There are far too many people who lack the skills to see past their own nose when it comes to gaming, unknowingly at their own expense.

I'm 36 and I can't really tell, but I was never a super competitive gamer in the past to begin with. I can tell with other aspects of my life moreso.

The sad truth is that as you age, you're going to lose a step in pretty much everything you do after a certain point. That's why it's key to take care of yourself while you're still young, to slow down that process as much as possible. Life is all about trade offs. You don't take care of yourself when you're younger, you will pay for it as you age.

Yes. But you learn and play around that in some online games.

I'm 47 and I'm still love playing games after 30+ years of doing it, never experienced the "why am I playing games" feeling lots have, but the past 12-18 months I've felt a real decline in my skill and dexterity. I love games and I'm fortunate to play with a great clan in Destiny but there are times where I really feel like I'm failing to grasp stuff, or it need stuff explained to me far too much. Reactions aren't the same either and I just hope it's not indicative of a wider malaise... :-S

36, and the only thing I've noticed over time is I get motion sickness more easily in FPSes as of late. :( I can still play them I just have to limit myself to like a couple of hours.

I'm starting to notice a slight difference. I'm barely scratching 30 (not there yet) so I'm not sure it's the age rather than the monumental decrease in time to play videogames. But I never really cared about competitive online games anyway, and anything else you can just compensate for by learning patterns and knowing what's coming in advance.

So really, trial and error just like always. It just takes a little longer.

35 and sharp as ever.