The results of a study are in – PowerWash Simulator boosts 72% of its players' moods within 15 minutes of playtime.
The study's been running for a couple of years but it now demonstrates just how pleasing the game really is.
It's one of those debates that hasn't really gone away despite decades of development and high-profile discussion – are games good for you?
A niche of concerned parents might disagree with the millions of contented players who would answer in a resounding positive. Now at least one game can point to some academic research to prove its own worth.
Back in 2022, the developers of PowerWash Simulator and Oxford University's Internet Institute announced that some players could opt into a study they'd be running into how the game interacted with their mood while playing. Over 8,500 players contributed, from nearly 40 countries, and now the results of that study have been published.
They show that 72% of PowerWash Simulator players reported an "uplift in mood" while playing the title. That boost apparently came within 15 minutes of starting the game for most players, as they sunk into the pleasant nature of the cleaning tasks it offered.
So, it looks like a relaxing game about cleaning without any real ability to fail an objective or be under threat from extreme challenges was indeed relaxing. Importantly, the study also clarified that the mood boost offered up was "comparable with changes seen in other leisure activities such as reading, shopping, or listening to music".
That means that while PowerWash Simulator was indeed a positive influence, it's not exactly alone in that regard, and there are other ways to get that same boost. Even as avid gamers, we'd also admit that the same relaxation might not always be found when turning off our PS5 after a particularly close loss on Valorant.
Still, this kind of research can only be a good thing, and it'll be curious to see if the Oxford University Internet Institute does more of these studies now that it's completed this one. If so we'll be paying attention to see what more can be learnt about gaming's influence on mood.
