How Do Left Handed Gamers Play? Are Lefties Better? (Maybe!)
Left-handed gamers have it rough. They’re not only fighting against their right-handed opponents, but they also have to deal with games that are designed for right-handers.
As a lefty myself, I know how frustrating this can be!
This article will discuss the different aspects of gaming with the left hand and some helpful tips on what you can do to make your lefty life a little easier.
How Do Left Handed Gamers Play?
This is a really good question! It’s not as obvious as you might think.
You see, the majority of people are right-handed, and left-handed gamers have to go out of their way to find products that work for them.
Now some companies specialize in making gaming equipment for lefties, but most mainstream brands don’t.
Therefore, if you’re left-handed and want to play games on a console or computer, it can be tough!
One of the most important things that left-handed gamers need is an ambidextrous mouse.
This means that they have two separate buttons for each hand, so there are no longer any issues with the mouse being to the left or right of your hand.
There are also a few different types of keyboards designed for southpaws: ergonomic ones, split layouts, and QWERTY ones.
It’s important to make sure you get one that suits your needs because, again, there aren’t many games made just for us.
Now many left-handed gamers use their right hand to play games.
This is because they can’t find anything that isn’t specifically made for them, so they just do the best with what’s available. It might seem crazy, but it does work well in some cases!
Tips For Left-Handed Gamers
- Check for lefty options before buying new games
Only about 12% of current console games offer left-handed options, but if you have a game that does not support your needs and wants to buy new games anyway, make sure it has the option before buying.
- Use right hand for shooting or other joystick controls
If there is no function to change the buttons on controllers such as joysticks, then use your right hand to shoot or use other joystick controls.
- Invert mouse settings so that clicking on the left side of the screen pans in one direction and vice versa
This is a good option for playing games as it will make you more comfortable with the keyboard commands, but keep in mind that some games may not have this setting available to players.
Changing your mouse options will make it so that you can use the left button or click to pan in one direction and the right side of the mouse to do the same.
The way you play video games can affect your health, how well you do in school, and even social skills such as empathy.
It may be a small detail, but if you’re left-handed and want to play video games.
There are some things you need to know in order to make sure that the game is actually designed for your needs as well as possible.
Are Left-handed People Better At Gaming?
This is a question that has been debated for years.
There are also myths and legends about left-handed people being better at sports or more intelligent than right-handers, but as of yet, there’s no scientific evidence to support those claims.
The reason why lefties might be better at gaming is probably because games have historically been designed with right-handed people in mind, so there were some difficulties for southpaws from day one. However, as time has gone on, that’s changing.
Since the left-handed person usually uses their right hand to hit a mouse, they have to control camera movement with the keyboard.
This has led some people who are used to gaming in this way to develop habits that can be hard for others to see on screen, such as constantly turning due north and south or using strafing movements.
Lefties who are used to this have a much easier time with first-person shooters such as Halo and Call of Duty.
Lefties also tend to develop their own solutions for games that seem impossible due to the difficulties they face, so there is something about being left-handed in common, after all: resilience.
The More You Practice The Better You Get
The more you play, the higher chance you have of getting better at any game, regardless if it’s non-digital or digital.
Playing normally and having left-handedness doesn’t do much but will improve your ability to master a certain game in some ways, such as playing with the left hand.
This is because your brain’s neural network is trained to react at a certain point in time when it is used for specific reasons, so if you use your right hand or more dominant side to do something that you usually do with your left hand (such as writing), then this will have an effect on the overall training of your brain.
It will also have an effect when you try to play a video game or any sort of computer game because the reaction that you get from pressing certain buttons with your left hand will be delayed depending on how long it’s been since you’ve used it (because in general, the more we use our dominant hand, the more complex our neural network becomes).
Some people might actually be more focused on their right eye than their left, which could mean they’re better at shooting or aiming in the game Fortnite.
Because of having that one good eye, they can look at something for longer without getting dizzy, so this can be an advantage when it comes to gaming.
What Research Say?
A study where left-handed and right-handed people played a game showed that left-handed people actually performed better.
However, this study was specifically about how the players reacted to certain things in the game and not necessarily their overall skill level.
This could also just mean that left-handers are more used to playing with their left hand and that they’re less anxious playing that way.
This can be a factor when it comes to eSports, for example, StarCraft II, where the players are competing in tournaments all over the world.
Therefore, if you had the choice of either being right or left-handed and wanted to become one of those professional gamers that are in it for the big money prizes, then you should definitely go with left-handedness.
What Play Style You Prefer
This also depends on the game that you’re playing and how much it matters if you’re using your right or left hand when mastering a certain task or action.
For example, having a dominant eye will make someone better at aiming any weapon in a game, so if you are shooting with a gun in Fortnite, then left-handedness can be an advantage.
On the other hand, depending on your play style and how much it matters to you personally that your actions match exactly what is shown on screen (for example, when aiming), then being right-handed could also give you an advantage.
Left Handedness in Broader Perspective
In a more broad sense, left-handed people can take better care of their health than right-handed people because the pressures on the body from the weight of writing with certain tools or holding a pencil are way less for lefties.
Also, when you’re playing tennis or golf, then being left-handed could be an advantage over your right-handed opponents.
On the other hand, you’ll get some weird looks if you’re using your left hand to put on lotion or write something because it’s just not as common for most people (at least in the western world).
That being said, there are many ways to improve your gaming skill, not only by using your dominant hand but also by training yourself to be better at certain actions and features in games.
You could, for example, take a lot of breaks when playing a game or use the time when you’re waiting to play again to train yourself and study up on strategies and other factors that are involved in winning.
Training can sometimes even include using your non-dominant hand to play a game because it will be more of a challenge for you and train your brain to adapt to something that’s not really necessary.
There are also certain games that require you only use your right or left hand (or foot) or where the use of both hands is an advantage over using one hand, like in the game ‘Rocking Shot.’
In short, for games that involve shooting or using a controller, then being left-handed can be a benefit.
This is especially true if you have a dominant eye and you’re good at focusing on one thing without being nervous or getting sick from playing for too long with your dominant hand.
Other than that, having a dominant hand doesn’t really matter that much (unless you’re playing golf or tennis), and it’s more about which strategy you want to master or focus on.
For games where it matters what side your character is facing when trying to complete certain actions, then it can be either advantageous to use your left hand or your right hand.
But again, this depends on the game that you’re playing and whether or not it matters to you personally how a certain action is done in terms of your play style.
Lastly, being right-handed isn’t automatically an advantage over lefties; it really comes down to what you want to achieve and what kind of player you want to be.
If you’re playing a game that uses your mouse, then using your right hand doesn’t necessarily mean more precision when clicking on something.
The same goes for keyboard shortcuts, and if you want to become very good at certain games (like StarCraft ), then it might not be the hand that should matter, but rather what strategy and kind of player you want to become.
What Equipment Do Left-handed Gamers Need?
Left-handers typically use their right index finger to press the directional pad or joystick button, and vice versa.
This gives them a slight advantage in games where they are able to use this type of coordination without distinct movement between hands.
They may have other problems, however, when using both hands for tasks like turning a key or pressing the trigger in an FPS.
What Games Are Left-handed Gamers Good For?
Left-handers have their advantages when playing games with one button, like Tetris.
They also excel at first-person shooters and strategy-type games such as Age of Empires II, where they can use both hands on the mouse to navigate.
How Can Left-handed Gamers Overcome The Limitations Of Playing With One Hand?
Left-handed gamers have to set up their mouse on the right side of the keyboard, which may cause issues if they are not using a large enough desk or table surface area.
They also need to be careful when gaming because having only one hand on the mouse can lead to it getting bumped and moved, which is a major annoyance in some games.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Playing As Left-handed?
The biggest disadvantage for left-handers is that they need two hands on their mouse at all times to play any game skillfully.
This means that if one hand needs to be used for other tasks on the keyboard, they will have to play with a handicap.
Left-handed gamers are disadvantaged because of their reliance for one hand on the mouse at all times; however, this can be overcome by using both hands and setting up your computer properly.
What Keys Do Left-handed Gamers Use?
Left-handed gamers will typically use their right hand for the arrow keys and “W,” “A,” and “S” as well as 1-3, while the left hand is used for the mouse.
They may also use 4-7 on occasion when they need it.
What Games Do Left-handed Gamers Enjoy?
Lefties actually prefer to play games that don’t require a lot of creativity or strategy.
They like first-person shooters, racing, and sports games, as well as rhythm action titles such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution.
Left-handed people excel at some types of video games but aren’t necessarily any better than their right-handed friends at others.
How Do Lefties Switch The Mouse To The Other Side Of The Keyboard?
First, they may need to purchase a left-hand ergonomic keyboard which can make it easier for them to position themselves correctly.
They will also probably have to download software that allows them to use two hands on one computer, such as Gmote.
How Do You Play With Both Hands On One Computer?
Left-handed people can use a few different programs to play with both hands on one machine.
They can use two keyboards, or in the case of laptops where this is impossible, they may have to buy a wireless keyboard.
With Gmote, which essentially takes mouse movements and translates them via WiFi to a different device, they can use both hands on one computer.
They may also be able to do this with Synergy and VNC.
What Are The Options For Playing With Two Hands?
Left-handed gamers have a few options when it comes to playing games and performing tasks with their two hands.
They can either purchase an ergonomic keyboard that is set up to be used by the left hand, or they can use two keyboards for each hand.
They also have the option of setting up their computer with software that relies on another device to receive movements from the remote mouse and convert them as necessary, such as what Gmote does.
What Is A Disadvantage When Using Both Hands?
If left-handed people decide to use two devices for their mouse and keyboard, then they will have to buy the equipment.
The other disadvantage is that it can be tricky to configure computers so that both hands are on one machine at the same time, but this is often worth it because of all the benefits lefties get from doing so.
What Is An Advantage When Using Both Hands?
When lefties use two devices to play with, they are able to game with their dominant hand and perform other tasks on the computer using the mouse that is comfortable for their other hand.
This makes it, so they don’t have to worry about switching the keyboard and mouse between hands during games or while they’re browsing the Internet or performing other tasks.
What Disadvantages Do Left-handers Face?
The biggest disadvantage that left-handed people have is that many of their options are not ergonomically designed.
Keys may also be placed in odd positions, forcing them to hold their hands in uncomfortable positions while they type or use the mouse.
Lefties can choose to purchase ergonomic keyboards, which may make it easier to relate to computers and other devices designed for right-handed people.
What Are The Advantages Of Being Left-handed?
There are a few obvious advantages that lefties have when using technology, such as keyboards.
For example, they don’t need to reach across their body with one arm in order to use their mouse or keyboard.
They also don’t have to worry about accidentally striking the wrong keys and making mistakes when they type.
In addition, left-handed people can often write faster with their left hands because they’ve been doing it for so long.
Sources:
The Life of a Left-Handed Gamer