By Bunmi Yekini
Ahead of World Hearing Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have unveiled the first-ever global standard for safe listening in video gameplay and esports. This landmark initiative aims to prevent hearing loss among gamers by setting guidelines for video game devices and software to protect users from harmful noise exposure.
“Everyone can take steps today to ensure good hearing health throughout their life,” said Dr Jérôme Salomon, WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage. “The WHO/ITU safe listening standard supports governments, manufacturers, civil society, and other stakeholders to foster safe listening environments so that people of all ages can protect their ears, even when playing video games.”
Gaming Boom Poses New Hearing Risks
With over 3 billion gamers worldwide, video gameplay and esports have become a dominant force in the entertainment industry. However, most gaming devices lack built-in safeguards against excessive noise, putting players—especially children—at risk of permanent hearing damage.
Seizo Onoe, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, stressed the importance of technical standards in gaming: “As video gaming and esports continue to grow, safe listening standards are vital to help protect the hearing of users, especially children, from sounds that could damage their hearing.”
How the New Standard Protects Gamers
The WHO-ITU Global Standard on Safe Listening for Video Gameplay and Esports introduces critical features to monitor and manage sound exposure in gaming.
For gaming devices (consoles, PCs, mobile devices, headsets), the standard recommends:
✔ Sound allowance tracking to measure a player’s noise exposure.
✔ Safe listening messages that warn when sound levels are too high.
✔ User-friendly volume control for easier adjustments.
✔ Headphone safety mode that adjusts volume when switching between speakers and headphones.
For video game software, the guidelines include:
✔ Warnings about hearing risks during gameplay.
✔ Independent volume controls for different sound categories.
✔ Adaptive soundtrack and sound design to reduce loud noise exposure.
✔ Headphone safety mode that detects audio output changes and lowers volume accordingly.
This new standard builds on WHO’s Make Listening Safe initiative, which has previously developed safe listening guidelines for personal audio devices (2019) and venues/events (2022, updated in 2024).
As gaming continues to evolve, this standard is expected to shape industry practices and encourage developers, device manufacturers, and policymakers to prioritize hearing health for all players.