As we grow older, our priorities and interests often shift. Some of us get married, have kids, get a promotion, or grow businesses, and many more. For adults like us, gaming was a significant part of their childhood and teenage years.
However, as responsibilities and obligations increase, it's common for adults to lose interest in gaming. But why does this happen, and more importantly, how can we rekindle our passion for gaming?
I surveyed our fantastic group, PlayStation Philippines, and received many responses! I realized many members of the group experience this scenario.
Let’s determine first why people lose interest in video gaming. Here are some of the possible reasons:
- Too many game choices. The rate of games being released every year far surpasses our capacity to beat games. This is why most of us have backlogs.
- Changing interests. As we grow older, we tend to discover other things, and this contributes to us losing our interest in video games.
- Too many responsibilities. With work, family, and social commitments, finding time to game can be challenging. As adults, we often prioritize responsibilities over leisure activities.
- Very little time. Gamers my age (90’s kids) are classified as adults. We have growing kids, demanding work and careers, growing businesses, etc. Yes, we have a budget (or we can find a way to buy it if we wanted), but our time is very limited.
- Too tired to play. Same with item #4, because of the demands in life, our energy is limited too. So instead of spending it playing, we'd rather focus on sleep, which is ideal, in my humble opinion.
- People think playing is just a waste of time. Unfortunately, there are people who have this opinion, and we cannot blame them for thinking like that. We will discuss this more in another article.
- Burnout. Playing the same types of games or experiencing repetitive gameplay can lead to burnout and a decrease in enthusiasm.
Here are some suggestions to ignite your body so you can reignite your excitement when playing video games, and applying a few of them might reignite your passion towards this amazing hobby.
Are you ready? Let’s jump right in!
1. Lowering your expectations
In my humble opinion, I believe this is the most important thing that we need to set. Because of the advancements in the technology, our expectation when it comes to story, graphics, and other things are way too high. When we notice something on the game, we immediately judge and leave a negative impression about that game.
So what we can do is to just simply enjoy the game. The story, the graphics/visuals, etc, soundtracks, gameplay mechanics, etc. If you see something off - just ignore it and focus on the great things!
You can also do something more like this: record the gameplay, and send this directly to the developer. That way they can make fixes and they can release a fix on the next game patch. You not only helped the devs by lending an extra eyes for QA but the whole gaming community as well because they can also enjoy a more seamless experience.
2. Buy portable/handheld gaming consoles.
One of the reasons why we lose interest is because we do not have direct access to our consoles. Some of our fellow gamers spend the majority of their time at the office or traveling, and they’re too tired to play a game when they’re home, so having a handheld game that they can use whenever they’re in bed or on the sofa—and I think this is a great use of their resting time.
A quick solution is to have the gaming console available anytime, and this can be solved by having a portable gaming device. That way, you can play on the go, during your break time, and immediately switch in between tasks.
Nowadays, there are so many gaming handhelds available in the marketplace. As of writing this article, the portable gaming device that I have is the Nintendo Switch. I haven’t bought one yet, but if ever I buy one now, it will be a PlayStation Portal or maybe an Xbox Ally X.
3. Rest—sleep is king!
Let’s admit it, as adults, we are busy with growing our careers, businesses, families, and everything else—while we are at the pinnacle of our growth, our energy is depleted, and this also affects our gaming time. My solution is to prioritize your sleep. Do a power nap for at least 45 minutes to an hour, then try turning on that web-filled console of yours. Trust me, your energy will improve and your attention to the game will be longer, which will result in a better gaming experience.
Even world-class athletes are being paid in order to get some rest so that their body is at optimal performance when it comes to doing their thing. If they’re resting, so do we! It helps us maintain our interest if our body comes from relaxation. And that includes playing video games too.
Let's not neglect sleep and prioritize our health at all times. Remember, there's no respawn IRL. 😄
4. Engage in non-technology activities.
Start hobbies that do not involve gadgets and are unrelated to technology. Shortening your gadget and screen time will contribute to your excitement when you go back to your consoles and games.
Here are some suggested activities.
- gardening
- drawing
- journaling using a paper and pen
- reading books
- walking out around the mall or better if in nature
I'm sure there are plenty of activities that are off-screen. These non-technology activities help improve our imagination and our critical thinking. (Not critical hits to a boss fight, please 😂)
5. Go out and meet other people.
On suggestion #3, some of them are solo activities. This time why not go out and socialize with other people?
- outdoor games/activities like basketball, volleyball, soccer, biking, working out at the gym, and mountain climbing
- indoor board games—chess, games of checkers, domino, etc.
- volunteering for a community activity
- team building and parlor games
- attending concerts
We can do plenty of things to meet with others. And guess what? There are many benefits of doing these activities! For single people, they find the love of their lives; others meet their long-lasting friends, and there are times that you meet your fellow gamer friend online! Try it out sometime, and thank me later! 😁
6. Listen to music, and play musical instruments like guitars and drums.
Yes. Pausing playing video games and switching to playing musical instruments will help you reignite your interest in gaming. A gamer who plays piano but has lost interest in gaming. What he did was he practiced playing the OSTs of the video games he loved.
The benefits are superb! He now learns a new piece, his piano skills improve, and most importantly, his interest in video games has ignited because every time he plays the OST, a memory of him playing that game comes back.
If you’re into music, you should try this too!
7. Book reading
This was mentioned in the previous suggestion, but I’d like to emphasize this alternative. Book reading is a great alternative activity versus video gaming. One guaranteed win doing this is YOU LEARN something! 🙂 Be it fiction or non-fiction, you’re guaranteed to activate your mind and feed something in it.
This is one of my morning routines—I always read a chapter of a personal development, business, or any non-fiction book every morning (sometimes, I miss too)—but this keeps my mind fresh and fed with positive, empowering messages that help me progress throughout the day.
8. Switch to mobile games and competitive gaming.
Sometimes, the only trick needed is to change the platform or genre you’re playing. You may be bored with the same story-based type of gaming. Or sometimes playing too many competitive games doesn’t excite you anymore. Why not spice things up a bit?
There are so many genres that you can try and explore. Steam has overwhelmingly plenty of genres to choose from, and also plenty of suggestions too!
Or, you may want to try playing on your mobile. Sure, they’re a downgrade when compared to consoles, but this platform has plenty of cool games to discover too! The exciting part here is that there’s a huge player base, so you can also compete or play with other mobile gamers.
The mobile games I play are the following:
- Clash of Clans (2012)
- Clash Royale (2016)
- Call of Duty Mobile (2019)
- Mecharashi (2025)
Take note that these games are highly addictive, but spending time on a different game may help you bring back the excitement towards gaming.
9. Try out a new genre in gaming.
One member shared that he had been a fan of open-world games before. He was a game explorer, and he really finished every side quest. I think that has led to burnout because the fun of exploring has been replaced by ‘obligation’ to complete the side quests. What he did was he took a break from gaming for a couple of days, followed the other tips written here, and then decided to explore games with linear stories.
Today, he wants to play games with a linear story like The Last of Us Part 2. And it feels like he’s watching a movie or series.
You may also try couch co-op or offline multiplayer games. Playing and having fun with your wife or your kids is refreshing. During weekends, I and my kids play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and it is fun! The weekend turned into a bonding moment with my kids.
Here are some of the couch co-op games you may want to try. (Take note, the Nintendo Switch and Xbox shine brightly in this genre.)
- Super Mario Party Superstars
- Tekken
- NBA Live
and the list goes on… Try these suggestions, and I bet you’ll find something worth trying.
Video source: Krypto Mac
10. Finish the game on YouTube instead.
You may be the type of person who is too tired after your work, or a gaming handheld is not an option because you might be at the office, or maybe a challenge that happened to you has set you back and made you lose interest in gaming.
Why don’t you try watching the game instead? This may be a cheap move, but many gamers, including me, opted to finish the game this way.
During the peak of PS3 and PS4, I do not have a console, and I am watching no-commentary walkthroughs on YouTube of the game that I really, really love playing. Watching them felt like I was the one playing too, and I experienced immersion as well.
Watching a couple of minutes of gameplay also helps other gamers in deciding if they want to buy that game.
You might think this category belongs to the lower spectrum. But hey, it’s okay!
11. Join a gaming community.
Joining an online community about a game has many benefits. One of them is to influence you from buying games because you see their posts and share their experience. This is especially helpful if you lost your interest because you will see comments and opinions of others who have gone ahead and tried that game you wanted to buy.
Trust me, you’ll be budol (driven to make a purchasing decision). My wallet suffered from too much exposure to the group, but it was also a fun way to communicate with fellow gamers. 😅😆
There are plenty of groups you can join. Just make sure to avoid toxic communities because they may affect you in a negative way.
Start a hobby that is related to gaming.
In the past I also experienced losing interest in video gaming. I started Bidyo Geyms as a hobby project because I love gaming. Having a gaming blog needs plenty of time researching. I spent many hours before I crafted and published an article. And I believe my research and review have leveled up my passion towards gaming.
The passion to provide as much value to our fellow gamers has led Bidyo Geyms to grow. I’m still growing, though, but today, I received numerous emails from people who wanted to write as guests. 😄 Compared to big media companies out there, I still have so much to grow, but eventually this website will become one of the powerhouses when it comes to providing gaming information.
You can also try doing live streaming or starting a YouTube channel where you upload your gameplay tips or epic boss fights. Who knows? Maybe this is the beginning of a new career for you. Imagine you play the game that you love and get paid as an extra? Win-win situation, right?
Conclusion
Losing interest in gaming as an adult is a common phenomenon, but it's not irreversible. By understanding the reasons behind our decreased enthusiasm and implementing strategies to rekindle our passion, we can once again enjoy the excitement and joy of gaming. Trying out some of the tips here will help you reignite your interest in video gaming.
How about you? Did you experience losing interest in gaming? How did it go? And could you share some tips on how you reignited your interest in video games? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:
Related Reading:
From Shelf to Server: The Inevitable Death of Physical Games
Tips on How to Fully Enjoy Gaming & Experience Immersion
11+ Video Games with Epic Intros
