New WHO and ITU standard aims to prevent hearing loss among gamers
Today is World Hearing Day 2025
To commemorate World Hearing Day 2025 on March 3, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have introduced the first-ever global standard to promote safe listening in video gaming and esports.
This new initiative seeks to reduce gamers’ risk of hearing loss. This group has previously lacked specific safe listening guidelines for the devices and software used in gaming activities.
“Everyone can take steps today to ensure good hearing health throughout their life,” he said. “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 and hearing—even when playing video games—without risking hearing loss.”
Video gaming and esports are rapidly growing industries, with an estimated three billion people worldwide engaging in gaming activities on platforms such as personal computers, consoles, and mobile phones. However, despite the widespread popularity of these activities, most devices and games currently lack built-in safe listening features.
This absence poses a significant risk, as prolonged exposure to loud sounds can damage permanent hearing. Children, in particular, are vulnerable due to their lower sound tolerance and growing participation in gaming.
The new WHO-ITU global standard aims to tackle this issue by providing gamers with the necessary information and tools to protect their hearing. It includes features such as warnings about the risks of loud sounds and recommendations for safe listening practices. Through these measures, the standard intends to raise awareness about the potential dangers of excessive noise during gameplay and empower players to take steps to safeguard their hearing.
“As video gaming and esports continue to expand, and gamers increasingly use a range of devices to access content, safe listening standards are vital to protect users—especially children—from sounds that could damage their hearing,” stated Seizo Onoe, Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau at ITU.
“Developing effective technical standards requires collaboration that draws on the strengths of all involved. We are grateful for WHO’s insights and experience in advancing safe listening and are pleased to launch this update on World Hearing Day.”
The new WHO-ITU standard is designed to safeguard the hearing of all gamers, regardless of the type of gaming equipment or the specific gaming scenario. It offers separate guidelines for gaming devices and software, ensuring that the standard covers various gaming experiences.
For video gameplay devices—such as video game consoles, handheld devices, mobile phones, and personal computers—the standard recommends:
- Tracking sound exposure to measure the player’s risk of hearing damage.
- Displaying safe listening messages to inform users when they are approaching harmful sound levels.
- Providing a user-friendly volume control system that can be easily adjusted.
- Implementing a “headphone safety mode” automatically reduces volume when switching between headphones and loudspeakers.
For video game software, the guidelines include:
- Warning messages about the risk of hearing loss from loud sounds and prolonged exposure.
- Independent volume controls for different sound categories, enabling players to adjust or mute specific in-game sounds.
- Adapting game soundtracks and sound design to incorporate safe listening features.
- The software’s “headphone safety mode” detects when a player switches from headphones to speakers and automatically lowers the volume.
This new standard is part of the WHO’s Make Listening Safe initiative, which focuses on improving listening practices, especially among young people, by drawing on the latest evidence and consultations with stakeholders from various sectors, including government, industry, and civil society.
The WHO and ITU have previously released other safe listening standards, including the H.870 WHO-ITU Global standard for personal audio devices and the WHO Global standard for safe listening in venues and events, which the ITU adopted in 2024.
Launching this latest standard marks a significant step in creating a safer listening environment for all, particularly in the fast-growing world of video gaming and esports.
Image: Most devices and games currently lack built-in safe listening features. Credit: Alena Darmel
