Gaming has been part of my life for a long time. I’m 44 now, I’ve got two boys, a job, a house that always seems to have something that needs fixing and all the usual responsibilities that come with getting older. Despite all of that, I still enjoy sitting down with a controller and playing a game.

I don’t think that’s particularly unusual anymore. There are plenty of people my age who have been gaming since they were kids and have simply carried on. The games have changed, the consoles have changed and the way we play has changed, but the basic reason for playing hasn’t really changed at all. It’s still fun.

Gaming in your 40s is definitely different from gaming when you’re younger, though. I don’t have the same amount of free time I once had, I’m nowhere near as competitive as I used to be and my sons are now better than me at some games, which I’m still choosing not to take personally.

Here are some of the things I’ve noticed about being a gamer in my forties.

You don’t have anywhere near as much time

This is probably the biggest difference.

When you’re younger, it’s much easier to spend an entire afternoon playing a game. You can stay up late, have another game afterwards and carry on until you realise you’ve spent most of the day staring at a screen.

That’s not really how life works anymore.

There is work to do, jobs around the house, family commitments and plenty of other things that need your attention. Even when I’ve got some free time, there is usually something else I could be doing with it.

I’ve actually found that this has changed the way I play games for the better. I don’t feel like I need to spend five hours playing to make a gaming session worthwhile. If I’ve got an hour after work and everything else is sorted, that’s enough.

Sometimes I’ll play for longer at the weekend, but I don’t need gaming to take up the entire day.

Your children eventually become better than you

This one is slightly harder to accept.

When my boys were younger, I was the one showing them how to play. I’d explain the controls, help them through games and generally be the person they came to when they couldn’t work something out.

That has definitely changed.

They’re teenagers now and there are games where they are considerably better than I am. They’ve grown up with modern gaming, they’ve spent hundreds of hours playing and their reactions are probably considerably quicker than mine these days.

I can still beat them occasionally, which is important, but I’m not pretending that I’m the best gamer in the house anymore.

There was a time when Dad was the expert. Now I’m sometimes the one asking them what I’m supposed to be doing.

I’m not sure when that happened.

You become more selective about the games you play

When I was younger, I’d happily try almost anything.

These days, I’ve got less time, so I want to spend it playing something I’m actually going to enjoy.

That doesn’t mean I only play one type of game. I enjoy shooters such as Warzone, but I’ve also played games such as Rocket League and Diablo 4, which are completely different experiences.

The difference is that I don’t feel like I need to finish every game I start.

If something isn’t grabbing me after a few hours, I’ll move onto something else. There are far too many good games around to spend twenty hours forcing myself to enjoy one that isn’t working for me.

Winning isn’t quite as important

Don’t get me wrong, I still like winning.

If I’m playing Warzone, I’m not going into the match hoping to finish last. I still get that little bit of satisfaction when things go well and I have a good game.

But I’m definitely less bothered about proving myself than I was when I was younger.

I’ve got enough things in life where I have to be responsible and make sensible decisions. Gaming is supposed to be something I enjoy.

If I get beaten by somebody half my age, I’ll probably complain about their internet connection for a few minutes and then move on.

That’s progress, I suppose.

You appreciate being able to switch off

This is probably one of the biggest reasons I still enjoy gaming.

When you’re working and you’ve got a family, your brain can be occupied with a lot of different things. There are jobs that need doing, things you need to remember and plans for the following day.

Sometimes you just want to concentrate on something completely different.

For me, gaming can provide that break. When I’m playing, I’m thinking about the game rather than whatever was happening at work or what needs doing around the house.

It doesn’t mean gaming magically gets rid of stress. Anyone who has played a frustrating online match will know that’s definitely not true.

But when you get into a good game, it can be a great way of switching off for an hour.

You start thinking about comfort

When I was younger, I could sit almost anywhere and play for hours.

Sitting on the floor? Fine.

Leaning forward on the edge of a chair? No problem.

Being slightly twisted around because the television was in an awkward position? Didn’t matter.

I’m not quite as forgiving now.

At 44, comfort matters. If I’m going to spend an hour or two gaming, I’d rather sit somewhere that isn’t going to leave my back complaining afterwards.

It doesn’t mean you need an expensive gaming chair or some elaborate setup. A decent chair, a sensible screen position and somewhere comfortable to sit can make a surprising difference.

Getting older has a funny way of making you appreciate things you never thought about before.

You think twice before spending money

Gaming can be an expensive hobby if you let it.

There’s the console, games, controllers, headsets, subscriptions, storage and all the other accessories that seem to appear every time you look online.

When you’re younger, it’s easier to spend your money on whatever takes your fancy. Having a family changes that.

These days I think more carefully about whether something is actually worth buying. If a new game looks interesting, I’ll look at reviews and think about how much time I’m realistically going to get to play it.

The same goes for gaming equipment.

I don’t need every accessory that somebody online tells me is essential.

If something genuinely makes gaming better, I’ll consider it. If it’s simply another gadget that looks impressive, I’m quite happy to leave it.

Gaming becomes something you share with your children

This is one of the best things about still gaming.

My boys have grown up around games, and gaming gives us something that we can still enjoy together.

It has changed as they’ve got older. When they were younger, I was helping them. Now we can play together properly, and occasionally they can show me something I didn’t know.

That’s actually quite nice.

Teenagers aren’t always particularly easy to get talking to. Ask them how their day was and you might get a one-word answer. Ask them about a game they’re playing and suddenly they’ve got plenty to say.

Gaming gives us something in common.

It isn’t the only thing we do together, obviously, but it’s one of the things that has stayed with us as they’ve grown up.

You realise gaming doesn’t have to be your main hobby

When you’re younger, it’s easy for one hobby to become your entire world.

As you get older, life becomes more complicated and your interests tend to spread out.

For me, gaming is just one part of my downtime. I’ve got DIY jobs to do, family commitments, work and plenty of other things going on.

I don’t feel guilty if I don’t play for a few days.

The console isn’t going anywhere.

That’s probably another benefit of getting older. You don’t feel the same pressure to keep up with everything. There are too many games, too many updates and too many new releases to play everything anyway.

So I just play what I enjoy.

You stop worrying about whether you’re “too old”

This is probably the biggest thing I’ve changed my mind about.

There are still people who seem to think gaming is something you should grow out of. I don’t really understand that.

I’m 44. I’m also an adult with responsibilities. I work, look after my family, maintain the house and deal with all the other things that come with everyday life.

I’m allowed to have a hobby.

Nobody thinks it’s strange when a 44-year-old goes fishing, plays football, watches films or spends Saturday morning working on a car.

So why should gaming be any different?

If you enjoy something and it isn’t causing problems in the rest of your life, I don’t see why your age should matter.

The games have changed, but the reason hasn’t

When I think about how different gaming is now compared with when I started, it’s quite remarkable.

Games are bigger, online gaming is normal, graphics have improved beyond recognition and you can play against people anywhere in the world.

But the basic reason I still pick up a controller hasn’t changed.

It’s fun.

Sometimes I want a competitive game. Sometimes I want something completely different. Sometimes I might play with my boys and sometimes I’ll sit down on my own after work for an hour.

I don’t think I’ll ever stop gaming completely.

The games I’ll be playing at 54 might be completely different from the ones I’m playing at 44. My boys will probably be even better than me, which I’m not particularly keen on thinking about.

But I can’t see myself suddenly deciding that I’ve reached an age where I’m no longer allowed to enjoy it.

If anything, having less free time makes me appreciate those gaming sessions more.

And if my boys beat me again tonight, I’m still blaming the controller.