Gaming sound safety: what the WHO–ITU standard changes for players
The 2025 standard turns safe listening into a design question as well as a player habit.
Understand the recent development
On May 20, 2025, WHO published its joint standard with the International Telecommunication Union for safe listening in video gameplay and esports. The publication describes features and requirements for gaming devices or software to support safer listening. It addresses a setting where long sessions, sound effects, and communication audio can overlap. A standard does not mean every game or headset already implements the same controls. For a player, the useful next step is to inspect the features actually available in the hardware and software being used, rather than assuming a recent product automatically meets every aspect of the standard.
Map the audio controls you have
Open the game's audio settings and the device's sound settings. Identify separate controls for effects, music, dialogue, and voice chat where available. Note whether the headset or platform provides exposure information or a limiting feature. Read the relevant help page before relying on a label you do not understand. A loud teammate and an intense effects mix may need different adjustments. Save a screenshot of your preferred settings so a reinstall or profile change does not quietly return everything to maximum. The map makes the audio environment understandable enough to manage deliberately.
Create a comfortable session preset
Choose a modest baseline and balance voice and effects so you do not raise the whole mix just to hear one part. Test the preset in an ordinary, low-stakes session rather than during a competitive moment. If other players' microphones vary greatly, use available individual controls or discuss microphone level with the group. Do not use uncomfortable loudness as a strategy for detecting every cue. Accessibility features such as captions or visual indicators may help where the game offers them. Explore those options alongside sound, with attention to what improves the experience without demanding higher output.
Plan the session's stopping points
Decide when you will pause before the game starts. A match boundary, team break, or agreed time can provide a natural opportunity to take the headset off and spend time in a quieter environment. Ask teammates to support the pause rather than treating it as a failure of commitment. For a household, agree on routines across games and devices so the rule does not disappear when one title ends. The standard's existence is a reminder that safer listening should be supported by design, while your own schedule still provides a practical way to reduce prolonged exposure.
Ask better questions of products
When reviewing a new platform or headset, ask what safe-listening controls it offers, what information they measure, and how users can change or preserve settings. Prefer specific documented answers over broad advertising claims. If you organize a gaming club, provide a short settings demonstration and a quiet break plan at the start of sessions. Do not declare an event safe merely because everyone uses the same equipment. The practical value of the WHO–ITU work is a clearer set of questions for designers and users, helping sound safety become part of ordinary game setup rather than an afterthought.
Sources & further reading
Source links support the factual context. Practical examples and suggested workflows are original editorial guidance. Sources checked October 5, 2026.
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