Roisin Higgins – still waiting for Half Life 3 
Roisin Higgins is a clinical audiologist at The University of Queensland.
With her favourite game being Half-Life 2, Roisin is still hoping against hope that Valve will some day publish a third entry in the series.
What are your top tips for gamers to protect their ears?
- Ensure that you aren’t turning up the volume and play games at a comfortable volume. It’s easy to keep turning up the volume if you’ve been playing a game for a while. If you find yourself wanting to turn up the volume, that’s probably a good time to have a break.
- I think it is also important to be mindful of the type of game you’re playing. First person shooters can be quite sound intensive as often there are explosions, gunfire and high-pitched ringing noises. On the other hand, if you’re playing a game like (Sid Meier’s) Civilization you’re primarily listening to classical music. Either way it is important to have regular breaks from your game, but more frequent breaks might be ideal for very sound-intensive games.
- Have a look at your audio settings. If you’re struggling to hear certain sounds you might need to adjust something in your settings. Some games have bass boost, or options to cut the bass. Have a play around with the settings to see what works best for you. If you’re on PC, there are programs to optimise your audio depending on what you’re listening to – take advantage of this where you can.
More people are gamers than they realise, with the explosion of mobile gaming many people have games on their phones. So, whether you’re playing Candy Crush or the latest Call of Duty it’s important to be aware of the volume you have set for these games, especially if you’re wearing headphones.
What should gamers do if they’ve already lost some hearing?
I think you should continue to remain vigilant about protecting your hearing even if you already have hearing loss. Instead of turning up the volume you should consider utilising some accessibility options in the menu like captions, visual enemy proximity alerts, and reduce tinnitus sounds. Unfortunately, not all games have these features but you can check out the menu to have a look at what accessibility options are available. If you want to look at the accessibility options for games prior to playing it there are some great resources out there like “Can I Play That?” that can help.
Would other people think that you’re a gamer?
Absolutely, I have frequently subjected people to pictures of my desktop setup, which include dual monitors and an overabundance of LED lights.
Dr Wayne Wilson – Fallout 76 apologist
Academic Dr Wayne Wilson is probably not the first person you’d think of when you think of the word “gamer”, but the fact is undisputed. Wayne has played through all games in the Fallout series more times than you can count, even the much-maligned Fallout 76.
When not gaming, Wayne is an Associate Professor in Audiology at The University of Queensland. He is also the Acting Chair of the Council of Deans, comprising heads of the audiology discipline overseeing accredited audiology programs in Australia, which provides guidance to the Audiology Australia Board of Directors.
What are your top tips for gamers to protect their ears?
If you turn down the volume a little you be able to play for longer.
Great games have great sound and music. As a gamer, you’ll be better able to hear both if you protect your hearing.
What should gamers do if they’ve already lost some hearing?
See an audiologist who will test your hearing and advise you on how to protect it.
Would other people think that you’re a gamer?
Probably not. Most people would think I’m too old to be a gamer.
Dr Emma Laird – fan of anything fantasy, except for Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Dr Emma Laird is a board member of Audiology Australia, a Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University and lead investigator on an NHMRC research project developing a digital hearing wellbeing program.
Emma is a lover anything fantasy-esque, like League of Legends, Marvel Rivals, World of Warcraft and the Dragon Age franchise, before they “ruined it”.
What are your top tips for gamers to protect their ears?
- If you turn up your volume to hear that person sneaking up behind you in-game, the music or comms may get too loud. Head to the options: there’s usually a volume mixer to make sure you can hear the important things but not damage your ears with the other stuff.
- Make sure you are listening at safe levels. Head over to the Know Your Noise website for more information.
- Take listening breaks while you queue for your next match, dungeon or raid.
What should gamers do if they’ve already lost some hearing?
Go get your hearing tested with an Audiology Australia accredited audiologist and learn about ways to protect your hearing. It’s never too late to preserve what you have. There are many options for managing your hearing loss too, from hearing aids, to headphones that are fitted to your hearing loss, and learning about communication strategies.
Would other people think that you’re a gamer?
Yep, I’m a big nerd – it’s not a surprise to anyone who knows me.
TL;DR: How you can protect your hearing while gaming