# Adult gamers - have you noticed your reaction time slip with age? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 9, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652 "2009-12-09T23:09:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652/21 "2009-12-11T01:53:52Z")
I am old and the games are getting faster. ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652/22 "2009-12-11T08:23:21Z")
I’m getting close to 29, and I noticed it most when I downloaded the NES version of \*Punch-Out!! \*a few months ago. I used to be able to get to Mike Tyson with relative ease, only to have my ass handed to me (that’s one game I’ve still never beaten), but after I downloaded it I had a hell of a time getting past Soda Popinski. Not sure if I even managed that, now that I think about it. I really want to get \*Punch-Out!! \*for the Wii, but I’m concerned that it’d be a waste of $50 if my reflexes have slowed that much. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652/23 "2009-12-11T10:54:26Z")
I’m 32, and I’m not as good as I used to be, but it’s not really reactions (well, not all of it), but the lack of practice, as others have mentioned. With a young daughter and work, I don’t get to play video games that much. Maybe one or two hours a week, when it used to be a couple hours a day. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652/24 "2009-12-11T11:32:22Z")
The only reaction I’ve noticed slowing is my “throwing the controller” reaction. Some things get better with age 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652/25 "2009-12-11T11:52:17Z")
I’m with Gonzomax, my reflexes are fine, it’s just the games are getting faster. Although I am getting behind the curve with controller complexity. Too many buttons! Pretty soon using controllers will be considered baby toys. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652/26 "2009-12-11T14:14:35Z")
I averaged .281 on the speed testing thing. In my defense, I’m using a crappy laptop thumbpad thingy. Get me on a real mouse and I’m sure I’ll go faster. I hope… ☹ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652/27 "2009-12-11T15:08:02Z")
Quite the opposite - now, in my early 30s, I’m better than I was in my teens, or even my early 20s at twitchier games. I still suck at FPSes, but that’s because I don’t really LIKE them, so I don’t play them often, so I don’t really ‘get’ them - but action RPGs, fighters, rhythm games, platformers…those I’m actually not bad at. Still not competitive - I usually can’t finish the hardest difficulty levels - but I’m actually finishing games I couldn’t when I was younger. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-gamers-have-you-noticed-your-reaction-time-slip-with-age/520652.md?page=1)