The balance between console gaming and adult responsibilities can be a fine line, and it’s about focusing on maintaining healthy relationships and managing gaming addiction for a fulfilling lifestyle. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
As someone who used to game way too much back in my bachelor days, I sometimes wonder how my relationship would be affected if I still put in those long hours with a controller in my hand?
It’s a common theme: does console gaming still make sense in adulthood — or does it start to cost more than it gives back?
It’s been a long time since I’ve became an adult - about 22 years since I was 18 and often it feels like when I do fire up my Xbox it’s something that I should have moved on from.
But I still enjoy it, and part of it is the fact that I actually don’t get the chance to game all that often anymore anyway.
Having met my future wife in 2018, my priorities naturally shifted. My healthy obsession with running has always seemed like a better alternative.
Except I hate glancing over at my Xbox under my TV and see it gathering dust, and I always find myself returning to play some of my old favourites or trying out something new.
Console gaming, by design, demands time. Modern titles can stretch into dozens — even hundreds — of hours. For adults trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance, that kind of commitment can be difficult to justify.
It’s here that gaming starts to clash with relationships. Therapists and relationship experts have long pointed out that excessive gaming — particularly when it replaces quality time with a partner — can create emotional distance. While it’s not unique to men, it’s often men who fall into patterns of prolonged, immersive play that sideline real-world connection.
The issue isn’t gaming itself — it’s imbalance.
Like any kind of obsession, or dare I say it, addiction, it comes down to how you manage it. And like all addictions, being able to know you have a problem is the first step.
For adults, the question isn’t whether you should game, but how you game. When it complements your life, it can be a powerful tool for relaxation and stress relief. When it replaces important relationships or responsibilities, it quickly becomes a liability.