Examining Short-Term Video Game Play on Subsequent Working Memory Performance

Video games have potential applications for pre-task preparation in cognitively demanding environments, yet immediate cognitive effects of brief gameplay remain unclear, as most previous work compares players to non-players or examines video game training. This exploratory mixed-methods study examined whether 30 min of video game play produces measurable changes in working memory, and whether game genre moderates these effects. Twenty-four participants completed an n-back task before and after playing either a first-person shooter, real-time strategy, or narrative control game. Working memory gains were small to medium and ordered by condition, largest after the first-person shooter, intermediate after the real-time strategy game, and minimal after the narrative control, though no changes reached statistical significance. Action conditions showed significantly higher perceived temporal demand than the control, and interviews indicated condition-specific cognitive engagement. These preliminary findings warrant further investigation into whether brief action gameplay reliably produces cognitive benefits relevant to demanding tasks.