Action video games have a number of ingredients that are really powerful for brain plasticity, learning, attention, vision.

Bavelier is summarizing a central claim from cognitive neuroscience research on “action” video games: that certain design features—rapid pacing, high perceptual load, constant attentional switching, and immediate feedback—can drive measurable improvements in perceptual and attentional skills. The quote frames games not merely as entertainment but as training environments that can harness neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to reorganize with experience. It also implicitly distinguishes action games from other genres, suggesting that the specific cognitive demands of action titles are what produce transfer to tasks involving attention and vision. The significance lies in reframing debates about games toward evidence-based, mechanism-focused discussion.