Summary
It’s no secret thatPowerWash Simulatoris not only a fun little titlewith several unique collaborations, but it’salso pretty relaxing. But did you know that playing PowerWash Simulator can directly impact your mental health positively? That’s exactly what a study led by Oxford University found after about two years of research.
As first reported by Eurogamer, thestudy which was commissioned in 2022, analyzed data from over 8,500 players from nearly 40 countries, including the United States and United Kingdom, among others. The study was housed onSteamvia a “Research Edition” opt in.
At the time, FuturLab called it a “one-of-a-kind anonymous research study centered around the well-being of PowerWash Simulator’s players [that] also aims to deliver insights into the larger discourse of gaming and mental health.” Two types of data were collected, one based around player progression and the other based on player responses to questions provided by researchers.
The end results are truly fascinating.
Take A Break And PowerWash
Per the results of the study, 72 percent of players reported being “uplift in mood” when engaging with PowerWash Simulator. Specifically, according to Oxford University and FuturLab, gamers “consistently reported a higher mood after the first fifteen minutes of the play session compared to the start of each session.”
Of the 162,325 “in-game mood reports” that were taken from players, most reported a more positive mood while playing PowerWash than they did when they first started a session. In other words, engaging with the game in full helped bring positive vibes. According to the results, the positivity is “comparable with changes seen in other leisure activities such as reading, shopping, or listening to music.”
Suffice to say that the data is really neat. In many ways, PowerWash Simulator is a pseudo-cathartic experience, allowing players to meticulously wash away bit by bit without any outside forces at play like enemy AI. So it’s no surprise that players feel happy playing it. It’ll be interesting to see if any future studies are conducted, particularly around action-heavy games. In the interim, hooray for video games that double as a health benefit.
