What are the experiences of autistic individuals who engage in multiplayer online gaming? A systematic meta-ethnography

Multiplayer online gaming (MOG) is becoming an increasingly popular form of entertainment and way to interact with others. Within the online gaming community, there is a high proportion of autistic players. The aim of this review is to understand the experiences of autistic individuals who engage in MOG activity. A qualitative systematic review was conducted across five databases: PsychINFO, Medline, CINAHL, ACM Digital Library, and Web of Science. An additional search on Google Scholar was conducted to screen for grey literature. This resulted in 12 studies being identified for inclusion. Studies were synthesised using a meta-ethnographic approach. The review highlighted that MOGs provide opportunities for players to interact in a way that feels less pressured than the face-to-face world. This has positive implications for developing social skills and forming relationships with others. Additionally, players learn a variety of skills that contribute to increased self-esteem and improved psychological wellbeing. It is hoped that the findings from this review could be used clinically to help mental health professionals think about how such activities can benefit autistic individuals and also how they might adapt the way they work to be more suitable for this population. • MOGs provide ways to interact in a way that feels less pressured than face-to-face. • MOG players learn skills contributing to self-esteem and psychological wellbeing. • It is hoped that the findings could be used to promote helpful day to day activity and clinically in mental health settings.