Background: Unrelenting pressure and an "always-on" culture can leave no time for genuine rest among young adults. While playing video games has been noted to afford cognitive escapism and relaxation, critical questions remain about the influence of popular video games, such as Super Mario Bros., and their potential effects on young adults' burnout risk.
Objective: This study examined the extent to which, if at all, popular video games such as Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi could foster childlike wonder. It also investigated the potential of these games to reduce burnout risk among young adults.
Methods: We used a mixed methods approach. First, qualitative data were collected through 41 exploratory, in-depth interviews (women: n=19, 46.3%; men: n=21, 51.2%; prefer not to disclose sex: n=1, 2.4%; mean age 22.51, SD 1.52 years) with university students who had experience playing Super Mario Bros. or Yoshi. Second, quantitative data were collected in a cross-sectional survey (N=336) of players of Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi to examine the games' affordance of childlike wonder, overall happiness in life, and burnout risk.
Results: Insights from in-depth interviews showed that players appreciated the ability of Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi games to instill childlike wonder, enhance happiness in life, and reduce burnout risk. Quantitative analyses showed that the games' affordance of childlike wonder positively affected young adults' happiness (b=0.30, SE=0.04, t=6.80, 95% CI 0.21-0.38; P<.001). In turn, overall happiness significantly reduced the risk of burnout (b=-0.48, SE=0.05, t=-9.55, 95% CI -0.572 to -0.377). Results showed that happiness fully mediated the impact of childlike wonder on burnout, as the direct effect of childlike wonder on burnout risk became insignificant (b=-0.08, SE=0.04, t=-1.88, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.01; P=.06), while the indirect effect of childlike wonder on burnout risk was significant (b=-0.14, bootstrapped SE=0.03, 95% CI -0.20 to -0.09).
Conclusions: The findings showed the significant positive effect of popular video games such as Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi on fostering players' childlike wonder, increasing happiness, and reducing burnout risk. This study was among the first to identify childlike wonder as an emotional pathway through which mainstream video games could enhance well-being and reduce burnout. By moving beyond escapism and nostalgia, it offers a new perspective on how well-designed, globally familiar games can function as accessible, resilience-building digital microenvironments. These findings contributed to research bridging gaming and mental health and have practical implications for game designers, educators, and health professionals interested in promoting mental wellness through everyday play.
Background: Amblyopia, a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness, often remains inadequately addressed by traditional treatment methods such as refractive correction and occlusion therapy, which can be noninteractive and lead to poor adherence.
Objective: This study aimed to design and evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a serious game intervention that integrates perceptual learning and stereoscopic vision training for pediatric amblyopia and to explore its potential as a complementary or alternative approach to conventional treatments such as occlusion or atropine therapy.
Methods: We evaluated visual acuity, accommodative sensitivity, binocular accommodation, stereopsis, and compliance-related data in a cohort of children with amblyopia aged 7 to 12 years before and after a 3-month intervention. Participants engaged in visual training via a serious game, attending sessions 4 times weekly for 30 minutes each.
Results: Best-corrected visual acuity improved significantly from 0.42 (SD 0.16) to 0.37 (SD 0.18) logMAR, yielding a mean difference of 0.05 (95% CI 0.03-0.08; t24=4.82; Cohen d=0.96; P<.001). Accommodative sensitivity showed marked enhancement following the intervention. In the amblyopic eye, mean values increased from 1.44 (SD 2.18) to 4.96 (SD 2.91) cycles per minute, corresponding to a mean change of -3.52 (95% CI -4.59 to -2.45; t24=-6.81; Cohen d=-1.36; P<.001). Under binocular viewing, accommodative sensitivity improved from 1.52 (SD 2.49) to 5.08 (SD 2.71) cycles per minute (Δ=-3.56, representing the mean paired difference (baseline minus post), 95% CI -4.88 to -2.24; t24=-5.56; Cohen d=-1.11; P<.001). Stereoacuity also improved significantly, decreasing from 780.0 (SD 613.6) to 448.8 (SD 472.2) arc sec (Δ=331.20, 95% CI 134.20-528.20; t24=3.47; Cohen d=0.69; P=.002). The proportion of participants with normal Worth 4 dot responses increased from 76% (19/25) at baseline to 96% (24/25) after the intervention, and treatment adherence was high under supervised clinical conditions.
Conclusions: The integration of gamified elements into amblyopia treatment was associated with high adherence under supervised clinical conditions and with significant short-term improvements in visual function, suggesting a promising complementary approach to conventional therapies. This interactive approach effectively combines perceptual learning with stereopsis training, presenting a potential alternative to conventional therapies.
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/52644.].
Background: Physical inactivity is a major public health issue among college students, often exacerbated by academic pressures and lifestyle shifts. Traditional exercise interventions often face challenges with adherence due to low motivation and engagement. Immersive virtual reality (VR)-based exercise interventions may address these barriers by providing interactive and motivating experiences, yet empirical evidence regarding their psychological and physiological benefits remains scarce.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of a 4-week immersive VR-based exercise intervention on psychological and physiological health outcomes in college students.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 36 college students randomized into either a VR exercise group (n=17, 47%) or a no-intervention control group (n=19, 53%). Participants in the VR group engaged in immersive VR cycling sessions (two 60-minute sessions weekly) using the VirZoom VR system, while the control group continued their normal routines. Psychological outcomes were assessed during preintervention and postintervention assessments, including exercise motivation (Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2), mood states (Brunel Mood Scale), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory). Physiological outcomes assessed were cardiovascular fitness (3-Minute Step Test) and body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis). We used a 2-way repeated measures ANOVA to analyze the effects of the intervention.
Results: Significant time×group interactions indicated enhanced intrinsic motivation (P=.02; η2=0.25); improved mood states with increased vigor (P=.01; η2=0.18); and decreased confusion (P=.01; η2=0.17), fatigue (P=.02; η2=0.16), and tension (P=.003; η2=0.24) in the VR group. Depressive symptoms were also significantly reduced (P=.03; η2=0.14). Physiological outcomes showed significant improvements in the VR group, including decreased body fat percentage (P<.001; η2=0.34) and enhanced cardiovascular fitness (P<.001; η2=0.47) compared to the control group.
Conclusions: This study indicated that a 4-week immersive VR-based exercise intervention may confer short-term psychological and physiological benefits among college students compared to the no-intervention control group under COVID-19 pandemic-related constraints. Future studies should adopt active control designs and be conducted in real-world settings, incorporating objectively determined intensity monitoring and follow-up to further investigate effectiveness and real-world scalability.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06902727; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06902727.
Background: Hong Kong faces a rapidly aging population, with many older adults not meeting recommended physical-activity levels and struggling to maintain long-term exercise adherence. Exergaming offers an accessible, technology-supported way to promote health conditions while providing immediate feedback and task variability among older adults.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an 8-week competitive exergaming intervention on functional fitness, cognition, loneliness, physical activity (PA) enjoyment, and quality of life among community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong.
Methods: We conducted a pragmatic, nonrandomized, 2-group pilot with community participants allocated to either a competitive exergaming group (EG) or a passive control group (CG). EG attended 16 instructor-led 90-minute sessions playing Fitness Boxing (Nintendo Switch), including head-to-head bouts and a bracketed tournament. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and postintervention. Primary analyses used repeated-measure analysis of covariance (time: pre and post; group: EG and CG) adjusted for age, sex, education, marital status, employment, financial status, and housing. Partial η2 was used to quantify effect sizes. Given the pilot nature, P values are unadjusted for multiplicity and interpreted cautiously.
Results: A total of 48 older adults completed assessments (EG: n=24; mean age 69.50, SD 4.77 years; CG: n=24; mean age 71.50, SD 6.74 years). Significant group × time interactions favored EG for lower-body strength (30-second chair stand: F1, 48=12.39; P<.001; partial η2=0.22), aerobic endurance (2-minute step: F1, 48=4.89; P=.03; η2=0.10), and PA enjoyment (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale: F1, 48=9.36; P<.001; η2=0.18). For the Number Comparison Test (processing speed), the group × time interaction was not significant (P=.08); however, an exploratory main effect of group indicated higher performance in EG across time (P=.04). Executive function (Trail Making Test parts A and B), loneliness, and Short Form-36 Health Survey subscales showed no significant effects.
Conclusions: Competitive exergaming was feasible and produced small to moderate improvements in lower-body strength, aerobic endurance, and enjoyment of PA. Cognitive effects were inconclusive and should not be overinterpreted given the nonrandomized design, passive control, small sample, and multiple outcomes. Future randomized trials with active comparators and longer duration are warranted.
Background: Exergames have emerged as effective interventions for promoting physical activity and preventing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Kinect-based exergames have demonstrated improvements in exercise adherence and health outcomes, but their high cost and reliance on specialized hardware hinder widespread home-based adoption. Recent advances in computer vision now enable monocular camera-based systems, offering a potentially cost-effective and scalable alternative for promoting physical activity at home.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and user experience of monocular camera-based exergames as a home-based intervention for individuals at risk for T2D.
Methods: Forty-five community-dwelling individuals at high risk for T2D (mean age 47.12, SD 6.92 years) were recruited and randomized into three groups (n=15 each): (1) control group (traditional offline exercise), (2) Kinect group (Kinect-based exergame), and (3) monocular group (monocular camera-based exergame). Participants engaged in a 10-minute intervention once per week for 7 weeks. Data were collected at 3 time points: baseline (exercise performance: heart rate and perceived fatigue), postintervention (exercise performance and user experience, including game experience and intrinsic motivation), and follow-up (user engagement and qualitative feedback). One-way ANOVA was used for data analysis.
Results: Exercise performance was comparable across all groups, with no significant differences in heart rate (P=.76) or fatigue levels (P=.25). However, participants in the monocular group reported significantly lower fatigue than those in the control group (P=.04). Intrinsic motivation was significantly higher in both the Kinect (mean 35.13, SD 3.20) and monocular (mean 34.00, SD 4.41) groups than in the control group (mean 26.06, SD 1.87; P<.001), with no significant difference between the 2 exergame groups (P=.44). While most user experience measures showed no significant differences, the monocular group reported a higher perceived challenge (mean 3.45, SD 0.51) than the Kinect group (mean 2.96, SD 0.39; P=.09). Additionally, the monocular group exhibited higher engagement, as evidenced by more frequent use, fewer challenges, and a greater intention to continue using the system.
Conclusions: Monocular camera-based exergame is a feasible and effective solution for promoting physical activity in individuals at risk for T2D. It offers motivational and experiential benefits similar to Kinect-based systems but requires less costly and more accessible equipment. These findings suggest that monocular systems have strong potential as scalable tools for home-based chronic disease prevention.

