Gaming is no longer an in infrequent pastime. We’ve reached a point where people can easily devote at least 10 hours a week to the hobby. Hell, on a good weekend with friends, it could add up to 10 hours in a day. That takes a toll on us, especially our eyes. Which is why Gunnar Optiks have gone from a niche novelty to an absolute necessity. We’ve reached a point as a gaming population where these glasses are a peripheral that make sense for anyone who sees themselves playing games for at least an hour a day for their own comfort and health.
I know, that may sound a bit overdramatic. They’re glasses! With colored lenses! But they’re more than that. The high-frequency artificial blue light put out by televisions, handheld gaming devices, computers, tablets, and phones affect our eyes. At the very least, prolonged and constant exposure to such devices can strain your eyes, drying them out and blurring your vision. It might even give you a headache. At its worst, years of continual exposure can cause cataracts and macular degeneration. Those glasses you might have been raising an eyebrow at may look like a cosmetic accessory with fancy lenses, but every part of them is designed to protect you and make your gaming experience more comfortable.
Those amber lenses? They add contrast to help enhance your vision and add contrast. The tinted lenses? They block some of that high-frequency artificial blue light that could damage your eyes. The anti-reflective coating, again, helps filter the blue light. It even wraps around your face not to look cool, but to keep your eyes from drying out or being irritated. Every element of these glasses is engineered to safeguard your vision so you don’t suffer because of your favorite games. It’s about improving your quality of life.
All Gunnar Optiks offer that sense of security. It’s when the company narrows its focus that you get specific products that could feel tailored to your own experiences and needs. Take the Intercept. This is a basic, classic Gunnar Optik model that’s $69.99 and has a classic look. The lenses are large and wide, with curved rests that don’t put too much pressure on your nose. They look professional. They even support prescription lenses, so those of us with already compromised vision can use them. They’re the sort of frame and model you might want to have with you while you work, because they’re no-nonsense, look good, and get the job done.
On the other hand, we have the Micron. It’s a Gunnar Optik model that looks a bit more modern. It’s a bit more narrow and stylized. While both it and the Intercept are designed to be comfortably worn for long periods, the Micron’s polymer frame is comfortable and light. It’s a bit narrower and closer resembles the sorts of glasses someone might choose for their daily prescription needs. Naturally, it also supports prescription lenses, so no one’s left out.
This may sound a bit like fangirling, and it is. Let me tell my Gunnar story. I have two friends who invested in these glasses. The first time someone bought a pair, I mocked them for it. I joked and said they were doing it to be cool and different. The word “hipster” may have been used. I was completely wrong. Because when the second friend bought a pair, I started to wonder if there was something to it. Since I actually wear glasses, I borrowed one of their pairs to try with my 3DS and Vita.
It actually made a difference. I worried the tint would make the games look funny. It didn’t. I thought I wouldn’t notice any effects. I did. I’m okay with playing 3DS games for extended periods in excess of two or three hours, but usually max out on playing the Vita around the two hour mark and look at other things to rest my eyes. I didn’t feel like I had to do that while wearing the glasses. I usually use eyedrops at least twice a week. I didn’t feel a need to resort to them after using the Gunnars. If I wasn’t in need of a new prescription, I would have already purchased a pair for myself.
Gunnar Optiks are no jokes. These are glasses that can actually make a difference in your life. It’s easy to doubt their influence. A pair looks like it’s designed to be fashionable, rather than functional. But they work. And, with Intercept models that look more professional and Micron varieties that are more stylish, you have varieties that can keep you covered in the office while staring at a computer screen or at home while focused on your big screen.