What is your worst gaming-related injury? (What was it and how did you try to fix it?)

[SWard]

Ever since Star Wars Squadrons was announced it's reminded me how much I loved EVE Valkyrie, so I've been getting back into VR,, but I've got to say, I 100% forgot how likely I am to injure myself.

I was playing Beat Saber last night and I fell over my coffee table! I've also started working at my dinner table due to home working which is too close to my fridge to be helpful, and honestly I can tell its not a good set up because when I play League of Legends I get really bad neck pain after.

Which leads me to my question,

• What is your worst gaming-related injury? (What was it and how did you try to fix it?)

I know some of you must have some brilliant stories, so if you're not too shy, please make me feel better about myself

 

[Pifanjr]

I don't remember specifics, but I do know that I've punched several (in)animate objects while playing on a Wii.

 

[Sarafan]

It's not exactly an injury, but I remember that during one of the Mortal Kombat sessions with my cousin years ago (on one keyboard) the retractable shelve on which my keyboard was placed literally fell down. The snags which held the shelve broke off and the shelve along with keyboard fell on our knees.

 

[Frindis]

Not had any particularly injury body-wise, with the exception of stiff and hurting fingers every once in a while. I do keep spilling liquids over my keyboard and it seems I never really learn from those mistakes. I need a bigger table or perhaps one of those children cups that cant fall over.

 

[Berious]

Got a just visible scar on my right index finger from an unfortunate "opening clamshell too roughly" incident. Gaming adjacent injury (was some computer component). It's just visible now in the right light. No one has ever asked but I plan to say it was a knife fight.

I'm glad packaging has moved away from the threat to life and limb design.

 

[Berious]

Not had any particularly injury body-wise, with the exception of stiff and hurting fingers every once in a while. I do keep spilling liquids over my keyboard and it seems I never really learn from those mistakes. I need a bigger table or perhaps one of those children cups that cant fall over.

RSI aint no joke Look up some hand exercises online, they really help!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiRC80FJbHU

 

[Zloth]

Worst I've had is a really sore shoulder. SOMEHOW, I got in the habit of pushing down kinda hard with my wrist on the wrist cushion of my mouse pad. No idea how I got into that habit or out of it, for that matter, but pushing down like that would really hurt on weekends.

 

[Pifanjr]

Worst I've had is a really sore shoulder. SOMEHOW, I got in the habit of pushing down kinda hard with my wrist on the wrist cushion of my mouse pad. No idea how I got into that habit or out of it, for that matter, but pushing down like that would really hurt on weekends.

Maybe you should've gotten a stress ball to squeeze.

 

[Rensje]

When I play PS4 in the sitting room I have the habit of leaning forward towards the TV while I'm playing. I'm not aware that I'm doing it until I get a very bad neck pain the next day, because instead of looking forward I've sort of been looking up.

Also, I tend to drag the palm of my hand across the desk when I'm violently using my mouse, mostly in first-person shooters. Kind of akin to what Zloth said, except in my case I tend to wear down the skin on the palm of my hand after extended play, kind of like when you've been walking for a long stretches and your foot soles get sore. It's the weirdest thing. I've tried adapting to other ways of gripping my mouse, like a claw grip for example, but it just feels so unnatural I can't keep it up for more than a few minutes.

 

[Zloth]

When I play PS4 in the sitting room I have the habit of leaning forward towards the TV while I'm playing. I'm not aware that I'm doing it until I get a very bad neck pain the next day, because instead of looking forward I've sort of been looking up.

I did that once recently when PC gaming because my chair was too high.

One of the issues with these games is that they can really absorb your attention. You get so wrapped up in a game, little aches and pains just don't register. Though that has a big plus, too: if I get sick, playing a good game really seems to reduce symptoms. Doom works better than cough syrup for me!

Also, I tend to drag the palm of my hand across the desk when I'm violently using my mouse, mostly in first-person shooters. Kind of akin to what Zloth said, except in my case I tend to wear down the skin on the palm of my hand after extended play, kind of like when you've been walking for a long stretches and your foot soles get sore. It's the weirdest thing. I've tried adapting to other ways of gripping my mouse, like a claw grip for example, but it just feels so unnatural I can't keep it up for more than a few minutes.

You lost me on that one. Do you mean 'wrist' instead of palm? I don't get how you can rub your palm on a desk and hold a mouse in the palm of your hand at the same time. If it's wrist, there's a lot of mouse pads out there with gel wrist wrests. Or maybe just make the mouse more sensitive so you aren't pushing as far?

 

[PCG Chris]

I am stealing this for the Mid-Week Question this week. Sorry/Thank you!

Aaaaand I routinely injure my ears by standing up while my headphones/earbuds are in and having them brutally yanked off/out because the cable is hooked on something under the desk and there's no slack.

 

[MoralHazard]

I've been playing a lot of Elite Dangerous since social distancing, using my Logitech X-52 Pro. It's been so much fun, but I didn't realize until too late that a HOTAS is the perfect device for giving you RSI. I haven't played in a few weeks because the pain in my shoulder, wrist, and elbow was just too much to deal with. My middle finger still "clicks" when I move it. I've tried switching to a controller, but it's just not the same. We'll see how much more damage I'll do to myself when Odyssey comes out.