If you’re a competitive gamer or aspiring one, then you’d definitely like to know how to get faster reaction time in games. Even for a casual gamer, having a quicker reaction time elevates the experience. It also makes the game a lot more fun and competitive.
Sometimes you play to simply relax, but failing a mission multiple times can quickly turn into frustration. It could be due to your slow reaction time. A fast reaction time is essential for multiplayer games, especially for First-Person Shooters, also called FPS games.
We’re here to guide you if you want to know how to improve your reflexes and become a better gamer. First, let’s discuss the reaction time of gamers, and then we’ll share a few tips and exercises to improve reaction time.
What is reaction time, and how does it affect gaming?
Reaction or response time refers to the time between when we perceive something and when we respond to it. It is detecting, processing, and responding to a stimulus, whether it’s an enemy showing around the corner or a fast car turning an unexpected corner.
Not just in gaming, having a quick reaction time can be valuable in real-life situations too. It can be convenient in life-or-death cases if you sometimes find yourself in one. While playing a competitive game, you usually need to make the right decisions in as little time as possible and react to what’s happening around you faster than your opponent. It isn’t very different from how it is in real life.
Do gamers have a fast reaction time?
Most importantly, your reaction speed can be trained to become faster, no matter how slow or fast you may be. Some games are relaxing, where you can sit back and take your time. However, others, more competitive and multiplayer games, ask you to be at your peak performance, especially reflexes-wise.
If someone constantly plays those games, they’re continually training their reflexes to improve over time. So day after day, they’re bound to get better and faster. This is why the more you play, the better you get at a video game. Same as with everything else in life.
So, the answer to “do gamers have a fast reaction time?” is yes. They have a faster reaction time than an average person who isn’t regularly involved in activities that demand quick reflexes. Gamers also train a lot and have much better hand-eye coordination than average. However, you’ll be surprised to know what is a good reaction time for gaming.
According to Dotesports, an average FPS player has a reaction time of 300-500 milliseconds. Sounds impressive. Professional esports gamers are in a league of their own. They have a reaction time of between 100-250 milliseconds only. These numbers sound hard to reach, but with reaction time training, you can get there.
How to improve reaction time
With practice, you can drastically improve your reaction time for games. But first, you must ensure your tools aren’t holding you back. Having adequate equipment makes a big difference in gaming.
Check if your monitor has a high refresh rate. Cheaper and non-gaming monitors are usually 60 Hz, which is good enough for regular usage and casual gaming. But when you play multiplayer games like Call of Duty, Valorant, Apex Legends, or Overwatch 2, having a monitor with a 120 Hz refresh rate or higher is recommended.
Sometimes your mouse can cause input delays, making your reaction time seem much slower. Check the quality of your mouse and keyboard before getting started.
Remember that expensive, top-tier equipment won’t make you a pro. On the other hand, a professional gamer can excel even with a trash mouse and keyboard on an old CRT monitor. In the end, it comes down to skill and practice.
Activities & exercises to improve reflexes
Let’s get into some activities and exercises to improve your reaction time. It depends a lot on how good your brain function is and how focused you are. Always warm up before starting a game. Try playing some puzzle games that help you improve your focus.
You can download reaction time training software and practice with them. They’re designed to train you to react faster and help you get a better aim. They are definitely worth a try if you want to improve your reflexes.
Remember that a healthy body has greater reflexes. So stay hydrated and focus on a nutritious diet. It’ll keep your brain and body healthy, increasing your maximum potential. That, paired with other training, can help you have reflexes as fast as a pro.
Nootropics are another great way to quickly and easily improve your brain function and focus. Nootropics supplements are cognitive enhancers, also called smart drugs, and can help your brain perform better. To learn more about it, here are the best nootropics for gamers.
To improve your reflexes, you can also use a reaction ball. It’s an oddly shaped ball that bounces unpredictably and needs quick reaction time to catch it after it bounces. Play around with it, and you’ll definitely see improvement. You can use a standard bouncy ball if you can’t find a reaction ball. Less effective, but it does the job.
Whichever game you’re trying to be good at, practice it a lot. It’ll not only improve your reaction time, but you’ll also get used to the most minor details in that game and know how to react to which situation. Knowing what to do in advance helps you react faster and plan and execute better strategies. In addition, it’ll surely give you an advantage over your opponents.
Conclusion
Try these activities to improve your reaction time and determine which works best. Although you can enjoy a game without having a fast reaction, it feels much better when you’re good at it, and now you know how to improve your reflexes.
Stay consistent and track your progress. There are a lot of software and web sources that let you calculate your reaction time. Always remember that practicing is the key to getting better at anything. You will notice slow and consistent progress even if you don’t clearly see yourself improving from day one. Remember, it takes time.
Keep practicing and surprise your friends when you finally get better than them.