Reaction Time of Non-Gamers
Non-Gamers have an average reaction time of 265 milliseconds (225–340 ms). People who don't play fast-paced video games. Used as the baseline against which gamer advantages are usually measured.
What the data shows
People who don't play fast-paced video games. Used as the baseline against which gamer advantages are usually measured.
Multiple university studies place the non-gamer adult median between 260 and 270 ms on simple visual RT, about 15 ms slower than the population-wide median drawn from internet reaction tests.
Why non-gamers sit at 265 ms
Without regular exposure to high-tempo visual stimuli, the visual cortex doesn't get the targeted exercise that gamers benefit from. The gap is reversible — a few weeks of action gaming closes about half of it.
What this means for you
If your own reaction time is close to 265 ms, you are sitting in the same neighbourhood as the typical non-gamers on this site. That is interesting context, not a verdict. Group averages reflect population-level tendencies — individual variation within any group is much larger than the differences between groups.
The honest way to use this number is as a benchmark. If you want to move toward the non-gamers average, the activities that group practises (action gaming for gamers, instrument practice for musicians, karting for drivers) are the most direct route. The gains are real but modest — typically 15–40 ms over weeks of training. For the full evidence-based guide, see our page on how to improve your reaction time.
Test yourself
See how you compare to the non-gamers average of 265 ms.